Power Rangers Militia
by Database Ranger
Summary: After one hundred thousand years, an ancient evil has been reawakened. Now, an old friend must return and form a new team if there is to be any hope of saving the universe. (Episode 4 now up! Corrected Episodes 1-3)
1. Call to Arms, Part 1

_**Disclaimer:** I am in no way affilliated with Saban, Disney, or any other owners of the Power Rangers series. All copyrighted material is property of its respective owners. Power Rangers, all its past and present incarnations, and all its distinctive likenesses are trademarked and copyrighted by Disney and Saban Entertainment._

_**Power Rangers Militia**_

**_Episode 1: Call to Arms, Part 1_**  
_Written by Database Ranger_  
  
In a time long past, before the birth of Zordon and the corruption of Rita Repulsa, there existed a planet between the red deserts of Mars and the fiery storms of Jupiter. This planet of eternal blue was known as Aquitia. The beings that came to be there were a peace-loving people, who knew neither pain nor suffering. Over all of them shined the light of the mystical Star, an artifact of such antiquity that even those ancient people had long since forgotten its origin. But it granted abundance throughout the wide waters of that aquatic world, and eternal life to its many inhabitants. The Aquitians used their many gifts to better themselves and their world, developing a unique technology that worked in perfect harmony with the forces of nature, allowing them to travel to the distant stars and discover the secrets held in every grain of sand. It was a utopia, the kind of culture that has been desired by every civilization since. But it was not meant to last forever.  
  
A race of the purest evil, known only as the Tormenta, arrived in this universe through an inter-dimensional rift. They were ruthless and cunning, born of a world that knew no peace, only war. Bringing with them a fleet of their most powerful warships, they sought out the power of the Star, hoping to use it to poison this world with chaos, just as they had done to their own. They mercilessly slaughtered the innocent Aquitians, who had no means of defense. Hastily assembled weaponry were no match for the sheer might of the Tormenta armada. In a final attempt to save the universe and themselves, the Aquitians led a full-scale attack against the evil ones, using all their ships but one.  
  
That one lone ship was a small cargo ship. Hoping it would be able to escape during the chaos of the ensuing battle, the Aquitians placed their best and brightest into cryogenic containment on the ship, as well as the Star itself. They succeeded, and fled to a distant planet, far away from the war that was ravaging their home. There they landed, but the unfamiliar atmospheric conditions caused a crash, and the pilots were forced to eject with the Star, leaving behind the only friends and family they had left. Praying that the cryo-pods survived the crash, the pilots searched out a place to hide the Star and keep it safe for eternity. They placed it in a deep underwater cave, and used their technology to create a vast desert, one which none of their race would ever be able to cross, and a small force field around the star that would protect it from any evil touch. Knowing that they could not leave with their knowledge of the Star's location, the pilots destroyed the cave's opening, allowing themselves to die alone in that barren wasteland.  
  
No one would ever know of the sacrifice of the pilots. The moment that the vicious Tormenta learned that the Star had escaped them; they activated their ultimate weapon and destroyed the entire planet, extinguishing billions of lives. Even now, the broken pieces of Aquitia still drift between the red deserts of Mars and the fiery storms of Jupiter, barren and lifeless, its once great oceans gone without a trace.  
  
But even with their home destroyed, a small piece of the Aquitian race lived on, resting on that distant planet where the Star had been hidden. There they slept for a century in the remains of the small cargo ship. When they at last awoke from their cryogenic slumber, they had lost all memory of their home, their culture, and the plight of their people. They knew only that they were Aquitians, and that this new planet would now be their home, their watery refuge. This was the planet that would thereafter be known as Aquitar.  
  
A hundred millennia passed, and the Aquitians rebuilt their culture, learning once again how to travel to the distant stars, and allied themselves with other races and beings, even the great Ninjor and wise sage Zordon. The Tormenta themselves dispersed and went into hiding, to bide their time until the Star would reveal itself once more. Masking themselves as inhabitants of various planets, they maintained a secret society, ruled over by the Grand Council, and dedicated themselves towards the corruption and devouring of souls. The souls were like food to them, fueling their power, and allowing them to stay in this world. Occasionally, if the corrupted ones were strong enough, and had been corrupted willingly, the Tormenta would grant them power, allowing them to spread the chaos. The forces of Zordon, Ninjor, and others thwarted many of these villains. They created Power Rangers to battle the evil ones, and maintain peace in the universe. Despite that, the unseen Tormenta would always find new ways to corrupt, spread chaos, and fuel the ongoing war between good and evil.  
  
The Star of Aquitar remained hidden for all those years, and not even the Power Rangers of Aquitar suspected its existence. They only knew the Eternal Falls, a mysterious cascade that granted youth to those who bathed in it. It became central to their culture, but they never knew that its power stemmed from the artifact deep beneath the falls, in the hidden desert. One day, now seven years past, an outsider came to Aquitar in search of a cure that only the Eternal Falls could provide. He too made the watery planet his home, and soon married one of the Aquitians. For once, he felt that he could belong, in a way that he never had on his original home. But now, that outsider has unearthed the cave and traversed the hidden desert. He has found the Star that should never have been found, and in doing so, he has doomed the world.

She strutted down the sidewalk, rapidly clicking her high heels against the pavement as she walked. All of her attention was centered upon the card in her hand, and she paid no heed to anything or anyone else.  
  
But everyone else paid heed to her, especially the men. She was stunningly beautiful, with long, wavy blonde hair. It had the perfect sheen, the perfect blend of honey and platinum. Her waist seemed virtually non-existent at the top of her long legs and shapely hips. Her hour glass figure seemed to be all the men could see, some of them even walking into lampposts because of their preoccupation, and a few of them were sure to get some harsh words from their wives later on. But none of them cared. All of them were focused on that perfect body, with the perfect skin, hair, face, and ruby red lips. Not one of them saw the cold, piercing eyes of that face. Those icy blue eyes that could burn through a wall of steel cared nothing for them. Only the card mattered. The only indication the woman gave that she even perceived the world around her was the small curve of her lips when she bent to fix her shoe and heard the crash of a car. She was used to the attention, but it never ceased to please her.  
  
Now, though, was no time for pleasure. The card that rested in her hand was all-important. It was only a small note, perhaps three by five inches, but the three words in blood red alien script spoke volumes. Man had never known these words, but the woman knew their meaning.  
  
"HE HAS RETURNED."  
  
It didn't seem possible. She had never thought that she would ever see him again. If this card was true, then everything was about to change. Millennia of waiting would finally come to fruition. The time to strike was at hand. Soon, she and all others of her race would finally take their rightful place in the universe. No more hiding in the shadows. No more mind games. No more dependence upon the souls of mortals. At long last, they would have their freedom. And the power that went with it.  
  
She looked up and saw that she had finally reached her destination. It was a small, dirty alleyway. Not the kind of place one would normally see a woman that could easily outshine every model in the country. She walked over to the brick wall at the alley's end, and quickly looked around to make sure that none of her admirers had followed her. Seeing nothing, she turned to face the wall, carefully counting the bricks across from the right, and then up from the bottom. Once she came to the brick she searched for, she dug her perfectly manicured fingernails into the cement around it, prying it loose to reveal a mark in the shape of stone-faced white mask. Pulling out a pendant from her blouse, she held it up to the eyes of the mask. The eyes glowed red, then sunk back into the depths of their sockets. Turning towards her right, she watched as a section of the adjacent wall, which had seemed solid enough before, had begun to open. Once the mysterious passageway had revealed itself, she tucked the pendant back in her blouse and replaced the brick panel. Within a few moments, the door was gone again, and the woman was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Marching quickly down the long corridor, the strangely beautiful woman soon made her way to a downward spiraling staircase, ending in a wide, arched doorway, marked with almost demonic alien carvings. But she was not afraid. If anything, she was reassured, for she was home.  
  
Behind the door was a room so grand that one might have thought it a palace. But no king or emperor would ever have had carvings like those on the walls of his home. They were things to inspire nightmares, to scar the minds of those who saw them. The designs were so foreign in nature, so wrong, that no human could have conceived them. Then again, she was not human.  
  
In the corner of the room, a man stood, leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette. He twirled something in his left hand, obviously lost in thought. When she closed the door behind her, he looked up, and smiled slyly. He was a relatively handsome man, somewhat older than she, with his temples streaked gray. He had a strong jaw, and carried with the confidence of a man that knew his own worth. Walking jauntily over to his female companion, he held up the object in his hand, a card identical to the one she carried.  
  
"A pleasure to see you again, Azala."  
  
"The pleasure is mine, Typhus," she replied. "It's been too long since last we've worked together. When was it? One hundred years ago? A millennium? My memory fails me."  
  
"I think it was about six or seven hundred years ago," he answered with a smirk. "It was that little epidemic I cooked up, remember?"  
  
"Ah, yes. That was it. You know, people still talk about that one. They call it the Black Plague."  
  
The two evil beings laughed as they remembered the beautiful chaos they had caused just a few centuries ago, reliving old times and pleasures. They stood at the table in the center of the room and drank blood-red wine from the flagon there. They entertained each other with stories of what they had done since their last meeting, of atrocities done and pure souls corrupted. During one of Typhus' particularly witty anecdotes, though, a chill wind whisked through the room. Startled, they turned, and were suddenly knocked to the floor, and the chalices of wine dropped from their hands. A monstrous beast stood before them. Its muscles bulged beneath its shining silver fur, in a way that boggled the mind. Its upper body dwarfed its legs to the point where it could barely stand upright, and human science could never have explained what kept its spine from cracking under the pressure. Slung across its back was a giant sledgehammer, one that was obviously meant to do great damage. Over its face, the beast wore a golden mask, carved to look like a demented jackal with a hideously sadistic grin.  
  
"TO YOUR KNEES!" the beast barked out. Shocked into submission, Typhus and Azala cowered on the floor. After a moment, Typhus was able to regain his composure and look up at the beast. Recognizing the mask, he stood up and dusted himself off.  
  
"Anubalon," he spoke. "What is the meaning of this? Why have you summoned us here?" Before the hulking creature could answer, a voice spoke out behind him.  
  
"He didn't. I did."  
  
Anubalon stepped aside to reveal a dark figure stepping in through one of the arched doorways of the room. The light behind him made his features indistinct, but his profile was impressive. His height exceeded seven feet, and his shoulders more than a yard wide. A cape was draped from his shoulders that fluttered with the chill wind now flying through the room. In his hand was a staff, a three-headed dragon sculpt at its top. His head slowly came into the light as he stepped forth on cloven hooves, a reptilian tail giving him balance and a deadly sort of grace. Instead of a face, he wore a three-fold mask. In the center was a death-white face with thoughtful blue eyes. To each side of that face was half of a silver mask, its mouth open and laughing, but its eyes dark and dead, since it was not being used at the moment. On the outer edges were the halves of a gold mask that no one in that room wished to see. It was a mask of hate and fury, but its eyes too were black like the silver mask, so there was nothing to fear. For now.  
  
The other three were on their knees in an instant. Azala gazed up at the faces of the powerful being before her.  
  
"High Prince Trilorin," she said respectfully. "We are glad to see that you have returned to Earth. To what may we owe this great pleasure?"  
  
Suddenly, she was on her side, with the side of her face red and stinging.  
  
"Speak when spoken to!" a voice roared at her. Looking up, Azala could now see the dreaded golden mask had slid into place, its fiery red eyes blazing with anger. "Don't forget your place, Azala. You have been among these humans for far too long. Now shed those ridiculous forms immediately! I will not be insulted by addressing such lowly creatures."  
  
"Yes, sir," the man and woman spoke together. In that instant, their skin started to shimmer. Azala's perfect skin turned a pale white, and her already slim waist became even narrower. Her legs and arms elongated, and her shoes melted into tiny pointed feet. Her perfectly manicured fingernails became long claws, and her luscious hair drew into itself until nothing was left but a single braided ponytail. Her designer clothes blended together and merge into a low cut gown, violet with golden embroidery, and a slit on either side reaching all the way to her silver belt. Typhus' fashionable shirt began to twist and deform as a multitude of faces appeared all over his arms and hands, each with a frozen look of total anguish. His vest hardened and reformed into black armor plating that shielded his chest and shoulders. His pants billowed out and took on a silver sheen, and his toes and heels pointed and stretched until they extended equally to front and back. Then both their faces hardened, and lifted off their skin, becoming masks. Azala's mask was white, with blood-red lips curved in an eternal, self-satisfied smirk. Her eyes were a piercing black, and an indigo jewel was centered in her forehead. Typhus's mask was black, with a scowling green mouth that echoed determination. He had blank white eyes that were frightening to look upon and a golden jewel on his brow.  
  
"Much better," Trilorin spoke calmly, with the blue eyes of the white mask once more gazing down upon his servants. "Now, listen well. I have returned to this backwards little planet by order of the Grand Council. They have reason to believe that an object of great power has surfaced, and has, for some reason or another, been brought here. I am to lead the three of you on a reconnaissance mission to retrieve it. You were each chosen because of your skills and experience on this planet.  
  
"Lord Typhus, you were selected for your ability to manipulate the souls you steal with unparalleled skill. It has been said that you can even make others grow by releasing your souls in fixed amounts. This will hopefully be useful in our mission.  
  
"Lady Azala, you are known far and wide as a seductress. You should be able to obtain all the souls we will need to accomplish our goal. Since you have worked with Typhus before, you shall be paired with him for the greater part of the mission.  
  
"And of course, my own loyal Beast General Anubalon. Your strength in battle and ability to strike fear in hearts of your enemies is legendary. I am pleased that the Council saw it fit to have you join me on our most crucial assignment yet.  
  
"Prepare yourselves, my three servants. Serve me well, and you shall be first to taste the power that lies before us. Fail me, and you will be first to know the true wrath of the Tormenta Empire. Never forget that I have thousands willing to give their masks to serve me, and you can easily be replaced." The three Tormenta before him shivered slightly, fearing the fury of their unstable leader. Anubalon's mask glowed slightly and uncertainly.  
  
"Yes, Anublon?" asked the High Prince. "You have something to ask me?"  
  
"Me do, master," spoke the brutish creature. "What is thing we seek?"  
  
His master chuckled as the silver mask slid into place.  
  
"Why, the Star of course!" As soon as he said it, the tall Tormenta leader began laughing hysterically, his yellow eyes glowing bright with delight. "Prepare yourselves, Tormenta, for we will soon possess the greatest power in the universe! Ha, ha! Come Anubalon, I will tell you my plans in the central chamber!" Suddenly, the laughter stopped as the white mask of thought once again became dominant. "As for you two. Return to the human world and put an end to all your present affairs. This mission is your new prime objective. Everything else should be put on hold. Understand?" The gold mask quivered on the outside edge of his head.  
  
"Yes, High Prince, of course. We understand," answered the two lower Tormenta shakily. As Trilorin left the room, Azala and Typhus turned their heads to face each other.  
  
"The Star..."

General McKnight could hardly believe his eyes. There, in the middle of a military airfield, was something never meant to fly through terrestrial skies. It had sunk deep into the ground, steam rising from its overheated shell. It was shaped like some sort of deformed egg. Its sides pulsed with blue and silver light. It was neither robotic, nor organic, but some mix of the two.  
  
It was a spacecraft.  
  
The general did his best to remain calm, but this was something that was never listed in any regulations guidebook. He had been trained to deal with men, demons, monsters, and even robots, but somehow, alien interaction had never been part of his training. Giving the signal for his men to stay on guard, he slowly approached the craft, followed closely by the best extraterrestrial experts available. Still about a hundred feet away, he turned to the elderly scientist on his right.  
  
"So what do we have here, Professor?"  
  
"It landed here exactly one hour ago, sir."  
  
"Do we know where it came from?"  
  
"Judging by its trajectory and the materials it was forged from, it is not from the Sol system."  
  
"Then where?"  
  
"I'm not sure, sir, but we have noticed some... unusual activity."  
  
"What could be more unusual than a spacecraft crash-landing in my airfield?"  
  
"Well, do you see these pulsing lights here?" he gestured, as the general nodded in affirmation. "When the vessel first crashed, they only appeared once every five minutes. Now, the pulsing has accelerated to once every four seconds."  
  
"But what does that mean, Professor?"  
  
"We're not sure, but we think that whatever is inside was weakened by the crash. This seems to be some sort of revival mechanism. From the readings we're getting, there are two distinct heartbeats in there, and they're getting stronger."  
  
"How much time do you think we have before this egg hatches?"  
  
"By our calculations, it should only be a few minutes now. The heartbeats are approaching normal levels for a human, but I sincerely doubt that those are humans in there. For all we know, it could take hours. We're taking shots in the dark here, sir. All that we know about the creatures inside is that they are alive and are either human sized or smaller."  
  
"Thank you, Professor. That's good to know. What did you say your name was?"  
  
"Phenomenus. Professor Charles Phenomenus."  
  
"Ah, yes, the specialist from Mirinoi. Glad to have you on board, Phenomenus. You may carry on now."  
  
"Thank you, sir." The elderly scientist returned to his work, using various devices to measure the craft's internal activity. But before he could get within a few yards of it, the lights began to pulse fiercely, merging into one steady bright glow that quickly spread across the entire airfield. The professor backed away slowly, until he once again was standing beside General McKnight. They tried to shield their eyes, but couldn't block out the oncoming waves of blue.  
  
Suddenly, the light was gone. No flickering, no afterimage, just gone. The pod remained still and silent. Slowly, as if drawn by an invisibly artist, lines appeared on the craft's smooth exterior. They crept up from the bottom, and curved inward to meet at the top. The moment they met, the lines began to glow white, and the section that had been carved out began to separate from the rest of the craft. It opened like a drawbridge, gently falling to meet the ground. General McKnight held the signal for his men to keep their weapons ready as water came pouring out of the opening in the pod. Through the falling cascades, he could just barely make out a shadow. Soon it was fully drained, and the general saw two distinct forms. One was smaller, more feminine, helping to support the larger, more masculine being. They had the appearance of a normal man and woman, but looks could be deceiving.  
  
As they drew nearer, McKnight was able to make out their features more. The female had a gold crest on her head that covered most of her face and scalp. Purple bulges swelled out from the gold crest, and seemed to pulse in time to her breathing. She wore robes of black, pink, and lavender, which were remarkably dry, considering all the water that had issued forth from the craft.  
  
The male wore similar robes that had shades of black, gold, and blue, which were cut to emphasize his more muscular form. His face was much different than his that of his companion, though. There was nothing human about that face. It was covered with blue-green scales, and had no mouth to speak of. The eyes were enormous golden orbs with no pupils, and he seemed to breathe through slits on the sides of his face.  
  
That breathing was much labored, though. The general could tell that this creature, whatever it was, had been injured in the crash. The pair slowly made their way towards him, and the male looked him in the face with those strange golden eyes, and spoke but one word before collapsing to the ground.  
  
"Home."  
  
The female knelt down beside him, cradling his head, supporting it from the back. She looked up at McKnight with pleading eyes and spoke to him in a strangely melodious voice.  
  
"Please," she said. "Please help my husband."  
  
Not knowing what else to do, McKnight knelt down next to the poor creatures, and issued a command to his men.  
  
"Quick, let's get a paramedic out here, fast!" He turned to face the female. "Don't worry, ma'am, we'll find a way to help your husband."  
  
"Thank you," she replied. "The thought of seeing his home again was the only thing that kept him going during the voyage. There were times that I didn't think he would make it."  
  
"His... home?"  
  
"Yes," she repeated. "His home."  
  
As the paramedics rushed in, the female alien creature gently peeled away the scales on her husband's head, revealing sandy blonde hair, a creased forehead, and... finally... a human face.

"Cranston. William Cranston," he replied from his hospital bed. "But I prefer to be called Billy." The young man sat up carefully. He had been unconscious for over twenty hours, and was still recovering from his injuries. A few cracked ribs and severe exhaustion had been his primary ailments, along with the effects of being submerged in water for so long.  
  
"My wife's name is Cestria. She is an Aquitian." The female alien had suffered far fewer injuries than her husband. Her body was designed for underwater life, and the crash had only managed to sprain her left wrist. The young man had taken the brunt of the impact.  
  
"We are both from the planet Aquitar, and had to leave under dire circumstances. Now will you please allow me to speak to General McKnight in private?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I believe that the threat that Cestria and I were facing on Aquitar is making its way towards Earth. Assuming that it is not here already."  
  
"And your reason for only wishing to speak to the general?"  
  
"I have heard rumors about him through my contacts on Aquitar, Mirinoi, and KO-35. He is the head on the organization that defeated Queen Bansheera's demons. If this is true, then I believe that he may be trusted."  
  
"Be trusted with what?"  
  
The young man sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes.  
  
"Just get me General McKnight."  
  
The interrogator shook his head and got up to leave. Cestria got up from her seat in the corner to escort him out of the hospital room. After closing the door behind him, the Aquitian turned to face her husband.  
  
"Do you really think it's necessary to keep them in the dark about all this?"  
  
"We can't afford to make the same mistake twice. Right now, McKnight is the only one who can help us. Mitchell is retired, and no one else has the resources that this man does."  
  
"But it won't do any good if he refuses to meet with us."  
  
"He doesn't have much choice. Eventually, curiosity will get the better of him. I just hope it won't be too late."

"Were you able to learn anything?"  
  
"No. He's very stubborn. The only one he says he'll speak to is you. Outside of that, all he'll say is their names and the fact that they left Aquitar under extreme duress."  
  
"What about his wife?"  
  
"She's as tightlipped as her husband. Hasn't said two words since Cranston was placed in the hospital."  
  
General McKnight looked the interrogator up and down. He knew that the balding little man wasn't holding anything back from him, so he began pacing the room, trying to work out the situation. For some reason, these two had traveled light-years to get to Earth, risking life and limb, but now they refused to say a word about what had sent them here. His gut told him that there was something off about the whole thing, but he couldn't place his finger on it. On the other hand, this was definitely a matter of national security, and it was his sworn duty to ward off any oncoming danger. He took a deep breath.  
  
"Tell Cranston I will meet with him shortly."

The sun had already set by the time General McKnight finally stepped into the Cranstons' hospital room. Billy and Cestria looked up from their conversation, immediately going silent. The older man approached the bed.  
  
"I understand that there was something you wished to speak to me about, Mr. Cranston?"  
  
"Yes, sir. You are the same General McKnight that authorized the formation of Lightspeed? And the development of the Cyborg Rangers?"  
  
"That would be me."  
  
"In that case, there is something I'd like to speak to you about. Provided that this information remains strictly confidential?"  
  
"Of course, Mr. Cranston. Whatever is said here does not leave this room. You have my word."  
  
"Good," replied the blond-haired young man. "Please, have a seat." The general moved towards the chair offered to him and sat down. "Approximately two months ago, my wife and I were diving in the seas of Aquitar, near a region known as the Eternal Falls. I discovered the entrance to a cave, and we both went in to investigate. It appeared as though the rubble that once blocked it was torn loose when the Gold Ranger crashed his Zord, Pyramidas, into the planet's surface. Inside the cave, we found a large air pocket. Since the atmosphere was abnormally dry for an underwater cave, Cestria chose to stay behind, lest she risk dehydration. I continued on, and discovered a remarkable phenomenon. Inside the cave was a vast, barren, underground desert.  
  
"In the distance, I saw a faint glowing light. It took several hours, but I made my way towards it, crossing the mysterious sands. When I reached the end of my journey, I came to it. A geometrically perfect crystal star, emanating a light all of its own. The Star seemed to be encased in some sort of force field, by my scientific curiosity got the better of me. I'm fortunate that the field was not tuned to my physical attributes. I was able to safely retrieve the Star and bring it back to where Cestria was still waiting for me. She had been reading some ancient hieroglyphics to keep herself occupied. They were unlike anything she had ever seen before. They predated all Aquitian languages, dating back over 50,000 years.  
  
"The moment we returned home, Cestria and I began our analysis of the artifact and hieroglyphics. Scientists were called upon from all corners of the galaxy, but not one of them had ever seen anything like what we had found. Even our close personal friend, Varoc, who had been known to unlock many of the great mysteries of the universe, seemed to be at a loss. All that we were able to discover was that some great power was buried deep within the Star, and that the hieroglyphics were the key to releasing it.  
  
"One night, roughly five weeks ago, I went into my private laboratory for some nocturnal research. Varoc was already there. He was attempting to procure the Star for himself. When I hindered him, Varoc turned on me. His form shifted, and his face was replaced by a bizarre cerulean mask. His body became deformed and unnatural, and he proceeded to assail me in a most brutal manner. Fortunately, he underestimated me, and I was able to activate an emergency defense apparatus that wounded him and ejected him from the lab. I guess that Varoc was not the great friend he made himself appear to be.  
  
"Within a week, Aquitar was under attack by interstellar warships. Fleets of them. They sent but one message to us. 'Give us the Star,' they said. But we refused. Judging by their already hostile temperament and obvious knowledge of the Star's power... there's no telling what might have happened if we had relinquished the relic. So we fought. Our enemies had enough firepower to annihilate the planet, but chose not to, for fear of damaging their prize. It bought us some time to call in reinforcements. As we speak, much of the known universe is still battling these creatures in a war even more devastating than the United Alliance of Evil's assault five years ago.  
  
"Earth is one of the few planets left that has not yet been drawn into the conflict. That is part of the reason my wife and I decided to seek refuge here. It is also one of the only planets with the kind of technology we require to continue our research. No one knows that we are here, because we told no one. We decided that it would be better this way. If Aquitar falls, our enemies will be unable to find what they seek, because we brought the Star with us to Earth.  
  
"It's only a matter of time now before they discover the truth. Then the chaos will start all over again. Only it won't be on Aquitar, it will be here. Now I have a question for you, general. Will you help us unlock the Star and end this senseless war?"  
  
General McKnight was speechless. He was expecting bounty hunters, or some sort of planetary dispute, but not this. Not an intergalactic war. Not again. If Cranston was telling the truth...  
  
"What is it you would have me do?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice steady.

"I understand that Lightspeed was able to develop Morphers for a Power Ranger team. I believe it's safe to assume that you've made some improvements since then, and we need access to them."  
  
"Don't you have that kind of technology yourselves?"  
  
"Unfortunately, no. For some reason, Earth and Eltar have been the only planets to develop morphing apparatuses without the aid of mystical artifacts. Since Eltar has been cut off from us, we must use earthen technology to tap into the Star's power."  
  
"And where is the Star now?"  
  
"Hidden. I'll show you it once you grant me access to whatever technology you have available."  
  
McKnight paused again to think about what was being asked of him. If this young man was right, then the entire universe could be in danger. But could he really trust a stranger with the project...  
  
"I'll need time to think it over," he said.  
  
"I understand," replied Billy. "It's a lot to process. I just hope you don't take too long to make your decision."  
  
The disturbed general slowly got up and headed towards the door. Cestria followed him.  
  
"Thank you so much for speaking with us, sir. I know we're asking a lot of you."  
  
"It's perfectly understandable, Mrs. Cranston. I just have one last question for you. What is this enemy that we're facing?"  
  
Cestria looked back at her husband, then down at the floor.  
  
"They call themselves... the Tormenta."

Typhus and Azala faced each other, motionless. The room they were in now was far larger than the one where Trilorin had previously summoned them, though it was not the largest in the subterranean Fortress of Facades. Typhus, dark and scowling, leveled his rapier as he went on guard. Azala, bright and smiling, swept her claws through the air as she assumed a proper fighting stance. They stared at each other a moment longer before Azala finally spoke.  
  
"Ready..."  
  
"Begin!"  
  
Typhus lunged at her with his sword. She leapt back on her toes. Again he lunged, and again she leapt back. So began the deadly dance. Every thrust was perfectly made, every blow perfectly dodged as they crossed the tiled floor.  
  
Soon Azala reached the corner of the room. The powerful Lord, believing his victory to be assured, lunged mightily towards his prey, only to hit air once again as his opponent leapt up and kicked against the wall, flying and spinning over his head. She slashed down with her claws as she landed, but met cold hard steel as Typhus brought up his sword to parry. He spun to twist her claws around and kick Azala hard in the side. He brought up his rapier to deal the final blow, but she had already slid out beneath his legs by the time the blade hit the floor. In one smooth motion, she grabbed his leg and flipped over his head, bringing her opponent along for the ride. They each landed flawlessly, Typhus on one foot, Azala on two. He quickly executed a roundhouse kick with his free leg, but she ducked her head to the side and cart wheeled to keep the foot in her grasp. Hoping to catch her off balance, Typhus drew in the snared leg to stab at her, once again missing as she spun off to the side, swinging him by his leg and tossing him into a nearby wall.  
  
Thinking fast, Typhus twisted his body and spin-kicked against the wall. He dived at Azala, sword-arm extended, but she was ready and waiting. Clutching the blade between her claws, the bright Lady dropped down, wrenched the rapier from his hand and kicked him hard in the stomach. To lessen the force of the blow, Typhus curled into a tuck-and-roll, landing on his feet in a perfect fighting stance as he turned to face Azala.  
  
But she was already gone.  
  
Now without his weapon, the dark lord focused his mind and body to find his hidden adversary. Slowly, his right hand glowed brighter and brighter, until it was white-hot, and he launched a blast of fire and light at one of the many arches holding up the room's ceiling. Out of the dust and rubble came Azala, with the sword in hand. Spreading out her arms and angling her leg, she seemed much like a bird of prey, swooping down on her victim from the high ceiling. As she fell, daggers of light shot from her fingertips, quickly filling the room with such intensity that Typhus was blinded. When his vision cleared, he found himself lying on his back, with the blade at his throat and Azala's clawed hand hovering above his mask.  
  
"Endgame," she said, her voice saturated with a sense of self-satisfaction.  
  
Off in the distance, the two Tormenta heard the sound of laughter and applause as their leader stepped forward, silver mask shining. Anubalon was not far behind him.  
  
"Very good, Azala," spoke the High Prince. "I enjoyed that immensely."  
  
"I live to serve, my liege," she replied, giving a deep curtsy of respect.  
  
"Unfortunately..." Trilorin's white mask became dominant again. "...this is not the time for pleasure. You two are to prepare for battle. Our scanners tell us that the Star is now in the hands of this planet's inhabitants. It is presently located deep in a nearby government facility, and I'm assigning you two to attack and infiltrate by whatever means necessary. Anubalon will accompany you on this mission." He motioned to the massive Beast General, who seemed to be twitching in anticipation. Typhus got up to kneel beside Azala, as Anubalon stepped forth.  
  
"You two come with me now."  
  
The three left the room, and Trilorin stood alone, fingering the head of his staff. _They had best not fail me_, he thought. _I've come too close and worked too hard to let it all go to waste now._

A chill wind rustled the dead leaves of the cemetery. Even during the day, the place still carried a sense of nocturnal dread. The spirits of those buried in that hollowed ground were restless, and eager to once again roam the earth as they had in life. Little did they know, their wishes were about to be granted.  
  
At the noisy gate, three figures stood. One was muscular and bulky, one tall and dignified, and the last was slim and feminine. Cautiously, they entered the graveyard.  
  
"My dear Anubalon, may I be so bold to ask what we are doing in here?" Azala inquired with a honeyed tone.  
  
"Master say you two make souls do what you want. Here souls. You make them do."  
  
"As you wish, my intellectual friend," Azala replied as she stepped into the center of the graves. She stood still and stiff, then slowly began to move her claws through the air. Soon, her entire body was flowing like water, as the Lady danced a strange, sensuous dance. The movements of her body were accompanied by a surreal song that issued forth from her vocal chords.  
  
Drawn by the deadly siren, the spirits emerged from their graves, swimming through the air in the form of green, yellow, and purple mists. They flocked to her, imploring her to sing and dance to her fullest, beguiled entirely by her strange necromantic charm. She stopped and turned to face Typhus, who was still standing at the gate beside Anubalon.  
  
"My turn, I suppose?" He raised his arms into the air and let loose a deep bellow that shook the ground. The spirits instantly lost their ecstasy and sought to return to their graves, but it was too late. They had already been caught in the snare of the Tormenta Lord. Lowering his left arm, Typhus extended his right hand towards the captured souls, and a mouth opened in the center of his palm to draw them in. Unable to resist, the spirits were all taken in by the sinister vacuum.  
  
The dark Lord stood tall, aglow with soul fire. Gathering all the energy into his left hand, then issued a blast into the nearby street. From the fiery crater he created, beings emerged. They were the souls, now transformed by the power of the Tormenta. They had been given the bodies that they had longed for since their deaths, but it was at a heavy price. They were now nothing but slaves, powerless to resist the commands of their masters. Their heads were bleached-white skulls that had distorted red insectile eyes. Gray swirled over their bodies, coated with chest armor that resembled ribcages, and white, clawed gloves and boots. At their belts, buckled with rat skulls, were sheathes, holding scimitars sculpted to look like spines. Drawing their swords, they stood ready to receive their orders.  
  
"Necrons!" called out Typhus. "You have been summoned to retrieve the great and powerful Star! Go forth! Let nothing stand in the way of your goal, and destroy anything and everything that stands in your path!"  
  
The minions of darkness groaned in reply, and then set out to fulfill their masters' wishes.  
  
_To Be Continued..._


	2. Call to Arms, Part 2

_**Disclaimer:** I am in no way affiliated with Saban, Disney, or any other owners of the Power Rangers series. All copyrighted material is property of its respective owners. Power Rangers, all its past and present incarnations, and all its distinctive likenesses are trademarked and copyrighted by Disney and Saban Entertainment._

_**Power Rangers Militia**_

**_Episode 2: Call to Arms, Part 2_**  
_Written by Database Ranger_  
  
"Welcome to the Militia Terrabase."  
  
The doors slid open to reveal a sleek silver room with control panels lining the walls. About a dozen uniformed personnel were operating the panels, apparently working furiously on some sort of project. It all seemed very familiar to Billy. For him, the only thing missing was that funny little robot who never learned to stop worrying. But now was not the time for a walk down memory lane. He shifted his focus back to what McKnight was telling him.  
  
"...based on the original Aquabase, this headquarters is far more advanced. It has airtight security systems to prevent any infiltration. Voice recognition, retina scan, and of course, each employee has their own unique entrance code. Here we have a much smaller, more efficient staff, headed by our foremost technological specialists. Due to our intricate global netwo-"  
  
"This is all very interesting, General McKnight," Billy said curtly, "but time is of the essence. Please, take me to where you have been developing these new Morphers you mentioned."  
  
"Yes, of course," replied the General, slightly flustered at being so rudely interrupted. "This way." He led them across the room to what appeared to be an elevator door and pressed his thumb up against a panel. The doors slid open and Cestria wheeled her husband into the chamber. He was still very weak, and the doctors had suggested that his movement should be limited as much as possible. General McKnight leaned towards a small microphone and placed his thumb against another panel to close the doors. "Voice recognition activate."  
  
"Voice recognition activated," a mechanical female voice replied. "Scanning. Welcome, General McKnight. Request destination."  
  
"Sector M-5."  
  
"Password confirmation required."  
  
"Armed and dangerous."  
  
"Password confirmed. Now proceeding to Sector M-5."  
  
They felt a quick jolt as the chamber began to move, and then another when it stopped a few seconds later. As the door slid open, the computer voice confirmed their location.  
  
"Welcome to Sector M-5, General McKnight."  
  
McKnight strode confidently into the room, as Cestria and Billy followed close behind. This room had a blue floor, with fewer computer consoles lining the walls. The tables were lined with mountains of lab equipment. Scanners, laser cutters, frequency modifiers, circuit boards; all things Billy had become familiar with over the course of his life. McKnight guided the Cranstons over to three figures at the other end of the room. One was a massive man with raven black hair. Despite his brutish and muscular frame, the look in his glasses-covered eyes reflected a keen intellectual mind. Next to him was a woman with similarly dark hair, as well as a strong facial resemblance. She had a lovely figure, and carried with her an air of experience. Looking into the eyes of the second man, Billy could tell that he was no scientist. Those were the eyes of a warrior that had looked long into the abyss of evil. The general introduced them.  
  
"Mr. Cranston, this is Mrs. Angela Rawlings and her brother, Clarke Fairweather. They are the world's foremost experts on energy transformations, and between them, have designed every Morpher, weapon, and Zord in the Lightspeed Rangers' arsenal." Billy nodded to each of them as he shook their hands, acknowledging their impressive scientific achievements. Cestria gave them each a warm greeting in Aquitian handspeak.  
  
"And this young man is Ryan Mitchell, the Titanium Ranger. Ever since his work with the Lightspeed Rangers ended, he has been aiding us in our research. He is our prime volunteer test subject and candidate for the new Morpher." Ryan leaned forward and stuck his hand out towards Billy.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Cranston. Mrs. Cranston." He greeted them both with the same military demeanor McKnight carried. It was obvious that this Titanium Ranger was not a man to be trifled with.  
  
Mrs. Rawling turned to face McKnight.  
  
"General, I would like to know the meaning of all this. I told you before that I was done with my work on the Militia project. Joel has an air show today and I was lucky to find a babysitter for Johnny." Cestria looked away awkwardly as Billy gently squeezed her hand. "I hope you have a good reason for keeping me from my son."  
  
"Mrs. Rawlings, I assure you. There is a very good reason for all this. Mr. Cranston and his wife have come a very long way and warn us that a new enemy is coming. We need to bring the Militia Morphers online as soon as possible, and there is no one I trust more with this responsibility than yourself and Mr. Fairweather. I'm sorry if this has inconvenienced you, but the fate of the world is at stake here." Angela looked away, seeing the awkwardness of the Cranstons.  
  
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to-"  
  
"No, it's alright," Billy cut her off. "It's just that... Cestria and I... we haven't been able to have children. We know your family is important to you, but right now it's more important to see that they don't get hurt by what's coming."  
  
"What exactly is coming?" Clarke asked him. "The most powerful force this planet has seen since the destruction of Dark Spectre. They call themselves the Tormenta, and it is only a matter of time before they find us. We will need to activate these new Militia Morphers if there is to be any hope of defeating them."

McKnight headed over to a small pedestal in the center of the room. Hitting a few of the buttons lining the surface caused the pedestal top to open up, revealing a circular silver case. He opened the case and turned to face Billy.  
  
"Here they are, Cranston. The Militia Morphers and their M-Badges." The general stepped aside to reveal the contents of the case. Lining the top edge were four small rectangular devices, each with a circular head marked with a stylized colored M. Along the bottom were four thick military badges, marked with identical M symbols. The devices and badges were paired off by the color of their symbols; green, orange, yellow, and black. In the center of the circle was one Militia Morpher and one M-Badge, each red, to complete the set. "These new morphing devices are the result of years of research, and will summon Ranger powers unlike any seen before. Unfortunately, we have yet to find a sufficient power source for them. These are my toys, Cranston. It's time for you to show me yours."  
  
"Of course, General," Billy replied. He turned to Cestria and squeezed her hand. "Are you ready?"  
  
"I am." She released her husband's hand as he pulled up his sleeve and faced McKnight. On his wrist was a device that seemed very much like a watch, but instead of a face, it had what looked like a speaker mounted on it.  
  
"You see this, General? It's a modification of an early invention of mine. It was originally designed to act as a communicator, but I discovered it had the ability to teleport a subject over long distances when tapped into a proper power source. This new model, however, requires nothing more than a normal battery, and although it is unable to teleport its wearer over long distances, it is capable of teleporting small objects over short distances. I will now demonstrate." He placed his wrist close to Cestria's stomach, and hit a button on the communicator. Immediately, her stomach began to glow brightly, as did Billy's hand. In a matter of moments, the Star had materialized in his fingers.  
  
It was an object of indescribable beauty. It was geometrically perfect, just as Billy had said, with each point the same distance and angle from the center. It seemed almost like glass, but sparkled as though a myriad of stars swirled within. And most amazing of all was the glow it emitted, a light of bluish-white, which seemed to permeate through everything. It was warm and comforting, yet somehow cool and refreshing also. And as they all gazed upon it, they felt the incredible power of it flow through them. That power was the Star.  
  
"It's incredible."  
  
"Fascinating."  
  
"I don't believe it."  
  
"Amazing."  
  
Everyone surrounding the Star tried desperately to find words for it, but they were at a loss. Cestria began to stumble forward, and grasped Billy's wheelchair for support. He quickly wrapped his free arm around her waist and looked her in the eyes.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes... I just need to readjust." She touched the side of her crested head lightly. The others looked on, suddenly realizing what had happened. Angela spoke up.  
  
"You hid the Star inside your wife?"  
  
"It was my choice," Cestria answered, not allowing Billy the opportunity. "My... bodily cavities... were more suited to the task than those of my husband. And we needed to hide the Star in a place no one would think to look."  
  
"I understand," said McKnight. The female Aquitian was a lot stronger than she first seemed. Suddenly, alarms began going off throughout the Terrabase. A young female technician ran up to General McKnight.  
  
"Sir!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Orange Valley is under attack!"  
  
"Bring it up on the surveillance cam!" He followed her to a large monitor that was centered between two control panels. Quickly tapping several buttons, the technician brought up an image of Main Street, only a few miles away. Marching among the fleeing citizens of Orange Valley was an army of undead cutting a path of destruction through mailboxes, parking meters, fire hydrants, and whatever else got in their way.  
  
"Necrons," Billy said. "Physical manifestations of the souls of the deceased. The Tormenta use them as infantry. They are almost infinitely renewable, durable, and are capable of self-repair. It looks as though our enemies have caught up to us, General McKnight."  
  
"Mitchell," the general ordered, turning to Ryan. "Get the Lightspeed Rangers and Silver Guardians on the scene. Fast." He shifted his gaze to the others. "Rawlings. Fairweather. You and Cranston get those Morphers online. If these Tormenta are as tough as Cranston claims they are, those Rangers are going to need all the help they can get."

"Come on people! Let's move! Move! MOVE!" Eric Myers hollered at the top of his lungs. Marching straight towards him was a young man in an identical blue uniform, wearing a red beret and headset.  
  
"Eric, how are we doing? Ryan said it was urgent."  
  
"I've got all the Guardians mobilized and ready to move out on your command, Wes," replied his dark-haired partner. The two commanders quickly surveyed their troops before stepping into their utility vehicle. Wes stuck his left arm out the driver seat window and flicked his hand to signal the Silver Guardians. A dozen utility vehicles filled with hired security agents made their way towards Orange Valley, not knowing what dangers they faced, only that they were needed.

"You know I had an air show today, right?"  
  
"Yes Joel, we heard you the first time," Carter replied impatiently. "But you know Ryan wouldn?t have contacted us unless it was urgent."  
  
"You're not the only one with a busy life, you know," Dana told him. "We're just lucky Kelsey isn't off on another skating tour."  
  
"Yeah," Chad agreed. "What are the odds that her tournament would be right on the edge of Orange Valley?"  
  
The four old friends rode swiftly down the street in their old yellow Hummer, the Rescue Rover. It had been years since they had last seen each other, but they settled back comfortably into the roles they had held during their time as Rangers. Despite marriage and his one-year-old son, Joel was still a fast-talking hotshot, with his trademark "Sky Cowboy" outfit. His light-colored cowboy hat still played off his dark skin nicely, as well has his old vest and green t-shirt.  
  
Chad may have let his hair grow out since becoming a life-guard, but other than that, the shy Asian man seemed pretty much the same as always, sticking with the blue shirts and dark pants that he had always felt comfortable in.  
  
Dana had fitted comfortably into pediatrics, which suited her sweet nature more than the rigorous life of a military paramedic. Her long blonde hair flew back behind her with the force of the wind, and she still wore the same light blouses and short skirts that she had in her teenage years.  
  
Carter once again settled into the role of leader. Although he had not been involved with Lightspeed in over a year, the sandy-haired fireman had been allowed to keep his old vehicle of choice, which he was now pulling into the parking lot of the Orange Valley X-treme Tournament.  
  
It was there they spotted the fifth member of their group, Kelsey, speaking with an unfamiliar blonde female motorcyclist. The hyperactive spandex-wearing pro skater was wearing her big friendly smile as usual, as she saw the Rescue Rover pull up and said goodbye to her friend.  
  
"Got to go, Sam," she said before running off. "Good luck at the Motocross event!"  
  
"Thanks, Kelse! Sorry you couldn't stay longer!" She waved as she watched Kelsey jump in the Rover and ride off. Donning her helmet, Samantha headed off to her cycle, wondering what could possibly be so important.

"So what's the deal, guys?" Kelsey asked as she shrugged into her old red Lightspeed jacket. The rest had donned theirs as well. "I thought we finished off the last of the demons when we fought Vypra and Quarganon."  
  
"We'll find out when we get there," Carter told her. "All we know is that Ryan needs our help. Fast."  
  
Turning a corner, they quickly found themselves in the midst of a caravan of black SUV's, all headed in the same direction. One of them pulled up alongside the Rescue Rover and lowered its passenger-side window. A familiar dark-haired head turned to face them.  
  
"Nice of you to join us, Grayson," Eric said smugly.  
  
"Just answering the call to arms," Carter replied.  
  
The vehicles made the last turn onto Main Street, then screeched to a halt. Before them stood an army of skeletal creatures, all wielding weapons and appearing ready to use them. The vehicles quickly emptied, filling the street with Silver Guardians and the five former members of Lightspeed.  
  
"What are those things?" Joel exclaimed.  
  
"I don't know," replied Wes. "But if they're looking for a fight, we're going to give them one! Time for... Time Force!" Revealing the Chonomorpher on his wrist, he tapped it quickly, and was immediately surrounded by a whirlwind of red-tinted binary code. In a flash of light, he had become the Red Time Force Ranger.  
  
"Quantum Power!" yelled Eric, activating his own Quantum Morpher. With a powerful thrust of his fist into the sky, he was rained down upon by rings of light, transforming him into the Quantum Ranger.  
  
"Lightspeed! Rescue!" called out Carter, Chad, Joel, Kelsey, and Dana. Flipping open the panels on their Rescue Morphers, they each released a colored shield of energy. Stepping through their individual shields, they were then encased by them, forming their Rangers suits and helmets. Once their mouthpieces had flipped up and their visors flipped down, their morphs were complete. They were the Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. "Power Rangers! Rescue Ready!"  
  
The seven Rangers took on their preparatory battle stances before diving into battle. Retirement was over.

On the rooftops high above Main Street, Typhus, Azala, and Anubalon intently watched the battle below. The Rangers were testing their opponents with their usual unarmed combat techniques. One Necron attacked Wes with his Spinal Scimitar, but the Red Ranger easily caught it and used the forward moment to flip the creature over his shoulder. Meanwhile, his powerful partner kicked another hard in the chest. The Lightspeed Rangers were holding their own as well, Carter dodging blows and chopping down hard on their necks, Joel and Chad ducking and punching the Necrons in their stomachs, while Kelsey and Dana used the combined power of their kicks to send their enemies flying.  
  
"Those fools," sneered Typhus. "They may be able to fend off my Necrons for now, but they'll soon find my creations are not easily so defeated." He watched carefully as the Silver Guardians set up one of their assault cannons. A Necron came charging towards them.  
  
"Fire!" Wes called to them.  
  
The Guardians blasted straight through the Necron, who went flying to the ground.  
  
"Good shot, guys!" He congratulated them. "That's one down. Let's keep it up!"  
  
"Not so fast, Red Ranger," Typhus chuckled quietly from his vantage point.  
  
To the Ranger's surprise, the Necron was down, but not out! It pushed itself back up onto its feet, despite the huge hole the blast had made in its torso. In a matter of moments, the wound had sealed itself up, leaving no trace that any damage had been done. Fully healed, the Necron continued its attack, undaunted.  
  
"I think we have a real problem here, guys!" Wes called back to his fellow Rangers.  
  
"You're telling me!" Eric replied, as he flipped yet another Necron over his arm. "These guys just won't stay down! Carter! Call Ryan for backup!"  
  
"Will do!" Disengaging himself from his opponent and leaping back, he tapped the side of his helmet to open a communication link.  
  
"Yes!" Typhus exclaimed, quickly activating the small device he held in his hand.  
  
"Why he so excited?" Anubalon asked, in his low, guttural voice.  
  
"Because," Azala explained patiently, "the device he holds in his hand is a tracker, one that will find out who that Red Ranger is contacting and where we can find them."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, these Rangers are probably protecting the Star. And although our master's scanners have tracked the path of the Star from Aquitar to that government airfield, and then to this city, they have been unable to find the exact location of the government facility where it's being held. By tracking the Ranger's transmission, Typhus will be able to tell us exactly where to find the Star. After that, it will only be a simple matter of breaking through their defenses and retrieving the Star for the High Prince. With the Necrons keeping the Rangers occupied, this task should be no trouble at all."  
  
"Got it!" Typhus turned to face his companions. "Let's get moving."

"I read you, Carter," Ryan said into his Morpher. "How are you guys doing out there?"  
  
"Not good. These skeleton things just won't stay down. They keep healing themselves before we even get a chance to catch our breath. Any ideas on how to deal with them?"  
  
"None. Just hold out as long as you can. We almost have the new Morphers up and running."  
  
"New Morphers?"  
  
"I'll explain it to you later, right now we just need you to keep those things busy."  
  
"Will do. Carter out." Ryan's Morpher cracked as the communication link was broken. He looked over to where Clarke and Angela were working with Cranston. Whoever this guy was, he sure knew his stuff. It had only taken a matter of minutes to establish the Star as the new power source. There were only a few last calibrations to make, and the Militia Morphers would be ready for their first real test.  
  
"Done," Billy announced, sounding relieved.  
  
"Ryan, are you ready?" Angela asked.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be."  
  
"Then take these," she said, handing him the Red Militia Morpher and M-Badge, "and head into the test chamber."  
  
Ryan took off his treasured Titanium Morpher and slipped it into his pocket before picking up the new inventions and leaving the room. The testing chamber was adjacent to the main room, but he had to walk through two thick door panels to reach it. The chamber was isolated from the rest of M-5 for practical safety purposes, as were all the test chambers in the Terrabase. Once he was inside, the lights turned on and the communication screen activated so that he would be able to receive direct instruction from the others. Angela's face appeared on it now.  
  
"All right, Ryan. We're ready. Put on the Militia Morpher and run through the morphing procedure, just like we've practiced."  
  
"Right." Nervously, he unfolded the Velcro wristband of the Morpher and wrapped it around his right wrist. He held the M-Badge in his right hand and flipped it open to reveal a small circular computer disk. Removing the disk, he placed it into side of the Milita Morpher and called into it, "Armed and Dangerous!"  
  
As he thrust his arm forward, the Morpher began to flicker, its M glowing bright red. Suddenly, a burst of light shot out of the Morpher and through his hand, straight into the M-Badge. Streams of red, white, and blue light shot out the sides of the Badge, curling back to form a sphere around him. Everyone in the main room held their breath in anticipation.  
  
A figure began to appear through the blinding light of the sphere as the morph neared completion, but suddenly something went wrong. The sphere began to distort, collapsing in upon itself. The figure could be seen struggling within, fighting for control.  
  
He lost.  
  
Ryan fell to the floor, and the lights dispersed.  
  
"Medics!"  
  
Clarke and Angela each yelled for help as they passed through the two panels into the test chamber. Bending down over the unconscious Ranger, Clarke placed two fingers to Ryan's neck.  
  
"He's still got a pulse."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"The power of the Star was too much for him," Billy told them, his face visible on the communication screen. "We need to find someone else."

Deep in the Fortress of Facades, High Prince Trilorin was also watching the battle. Opposite his throne hung an enormous three-eyed mask, each eye observing a different part of the conflict. The Rangers were still holding their own surprisingly well, despite the near invincibility of their opponents. These humans were far more resilient then he would have thought. Suddenly the eyes went blank.  
  
"High Prince Trilorin!" The images of the battle were now replaced by three new images, each showing three shadowy figures. Not even the High Prince knew what those nine figures truly looked like. Few who looked upon them lived to tell about it.  
  
"Grand Council," he said, stepping down from his throne and falling to one knee.  
  
"What is your progress?" The central figure of the central eye spoke with great authority.  
  
"We have encountered only minor difficulties, Heart of the Empire. The human and his Aquitian mate have alerted the Rangers of this planet to our presence."  
  
"As we expected. Open the chest we bestowed upon you, Trilorin."  
  
"Yes, Grand Council." He rose, and stepped back to reach for the small treasure chest that he had placed next to his throne upon arrival. It was ornately carved with the demonic symbols commonly associated with Tormenta architecture. He could only guess at its contents.  
  
Carefully, he traced his clawed fingers along the carvings, breaking the seal. No longer held shut, the chest lid opened and revealed its contents. The High Prince's silver mask quivered with when he saw the first of the items inside. It was only through Trilorin's powerful determination that he kept his white mask dominant.  
  
"We give to you this Mask of Malice, for you to use at your own discretion. This is the only one of the Thirteen that could be spared. For obvious reasons, we must keep focus of the war on Aquitar, and we need most of our resources there to maintain this illusion." The item Trilorin held in his hands was a face mask of pure white. Over its eyes was another mask, an eye mask of pure black. Between the eyes was a white gem, and an identical black gem was set in the forehead. This gift was one rarely given, and in some ways was even more powerful as his own Threefold Mask. One of the Thirteen Masks of Malice.  
  
"I thank you, Grand Council, Heart of the Empire, for the great honor of this gift."  
  
"Do not thank us, Trilorin. This is no gift. It is a responsibility. Use the Mask wisely, and never use the Face of Malice unless the need is most dire. We trust that occasion will never arise."  
  
"Of course, Grand Council."  
  
"The other item we have bestowed upon you is a shielding device. Once it is activated, no one will be able to teleport to or from Earth, nor will any transmissions be made between Earth and any other planet. This should prevent those in possession of the Star from contacting our enemies destroying our grand illusion. The device is to be activated once we end our transmission, and must remain activated until the Star is secured."  
  
"Understood, Grand Council."  
  
"Very good. Do not fail us, Trilorin. You know the price of failure."  
  
"I will not fail you, Grand Council."

"What happened in there, Cranston? You said the Star would be able to power the Militia Morphers properly. Why didn't it work?" General McKnight was furious. This man had promised him to get his technology up and running, and had not kept up his part of the bargain. Now, Orange Valley was under attack by the forces that he had led here. Maybe it was a mistake to allow an outsider into the Terrabase.  
  
"I don't think it was a problem with the Morpher, General. I think it was Ryan," Billy replied calmly. He could tell that McKnight was already angry at the situation. The last thing he needed was to fuel the man's temper further.  
  
"What do you mean? That man is capable of mastering the Titanium Morpher, a device so powerful that most humans wouldn't even be able to handle it. Are you saying that my best man is not good enough for this new power of yours?"  
  
"That's what I'm saying."  
  
"Well, then, let me ask you this. If he can not handle the power of the Star, then who can?"  
  
"I don't know. We will have to run some tests to find out what it is that your 'best man' is lacking. In the meantime, I think we should worry about the problem at hand. The Rangers can't hold off those Necrons forever. We're going to need to find another way to protect the Star. I suggest some sort of energy shield. If I can calibrate such a shield to block Tormenta energy signatures, I think I can buy us some time."  
  
"You do that, then. Fairweather! Help Cranston put up the energy shield. Rawlings! Go up to the sick bay and check on Mitchell. Run some tests and try to see if you can figure out just what went wrong. We don't have much time, people! We have to move fast!" He quickly scanned the room and spotted Cranston's wife, the alien, standing on the sidelines, watching all the action occurring around her. She was still a puzzle to him, as was Cranston's relation to Aquitar. But that was something to be sorted out later. "You!" he called out to her, getting her attention. "You have studied the Star, correct?"  
  
"That is correct," she replied, in that oddly melodious voice of hers.  
  
"Go help Rawlings. Maybe you can help her figure out what happened in that test chamber." The female Aquitian nodded in acknowledgement and walked quickly out of the room in the direction that Mrs. Rawlings had gone. On her way out, she looked quickly towards Billy. He looked back at Cestria and nodded, reassuring her that he would be all right on his own. He and Clarke returned to their work while Cestria hurried to catch up to Mrs. Rawlings.  
  
McKnight turned his attention to the battle on Main Street. The Rangers still seemed to be going strong. The Lightspeed Rangers had brought out their Rescue Blasters, using both Pistol and Baton Modes to keep the Necrons at bay. Meanwhile, the Red Time Force Ranger had summoned his Chronosabers and the Quantum Ranger had switched his Quantum Defender to Sword Mode. Together they used energy slashes to hack their enemies apart. But for every Necron wounded, another had already healed itself. It was only a matter of time before the Rangers would be overpowered.  
  
Then, for the second time that day, General McKnight heard alarms sound throughout his base. Once again, the young female technician ran up to him.  
  
"Sir!"  
  
"What is it this time?"  
  
"Our system is picking up a security breach on the surface."  
  
"Get the guards on the scene and reinforce the doors. Cranston! Fairweather! We need that energy shield now! It looks like the Tormenta have come for a visit."

Another swing of Anubalon's mighty hammer and the door was down. The Beast General roared in triumph as he charged down the corridor. Typhus and Azala followed in hot pursuit.  
  
"Although I admire your style, Anubalon," said the female Tormenta, "I think we may need to work on your subtlety."  
  
"Subtlety! The brute just needs to learn not to swing that accursed hammer of his every time he thinks an enemy is near. That miniature brain of his would never be able to grasp a concept as complex as subtlety," Typhus muttered under his breath. He had been the one to lead them here, and now that beast was making enough of a ruckus to bring the whole base down on their heads!  
  
At the end of the corridor was another door, one far more fortified than the first had been. It looked like it belonged on a bank vault, rather than in a government office building. Another sign that they were on the right track.  
  
"It looks like we'll have to crack that electronic lock," said Typhus. "It will take some work, but-"  
  
"DEATH HAMMER SMASH!!" cried Anublon. Not even slowing his pace, the powerful Beast General held his immense hammer low and charged it with energy. Just as he reached the door, he swung upward, and a thunderous crash could be heard as his hammer head collided with the door, tearing it off its hinges and sending it flying into the ceiling of the next room. It bounced off and hit Anubalon's shoulders as he ran on beneath it. The blow barely even fazed him, but Typhus and Azala had to leap to avoid the demolished door as it clattered loudly upon the metal floor.  
  
"You were saying?" Azala asked her companion.  
  
"Never mind," Typhus answered, shaking his head. Subtlety was most definitely not one of Anubalon's strong suits.

His vision slowly came into focus. The throbbing in his head had not subsided yet, though, and he tried feebly to grasp his surroundings. He seemed to be lying down, but where, and for what reason he could not say. Turning his head to the left, he saw his Titanium Morpher lying on a nearby table next to his shirt and jacket, and remembered what had happened.  
  
"How are you feeling, Ryan?" came a familiar voice. Looking to his right, the Titanium Ranger saw Angela sitting next to him. Beside her was Cranston's wife, the alien, looking over some computer readouts.  
  
"All right, I guess," he replied, his voice weak. "What happened? Why didn't the Militia Morpher work?" She looked back at him and grimaced.  
  
"We don't know. But hopefully we'll find out soon. In the meantime, you should get some rest. That Morpher took a lot out of you."  
  
"Mrs. Rawlings?" Cestria caught their attention. "I have some interesting readouts here, regarding the organic qualities of the Star. I think we should show the others."  
  
"Of, course, Mrs. Cranston." She turned back to Ryan. "Will you be all right?"  
  
He nodded to her reassuringly.  
  
"Okay. We won't be gone long. Try to get some rest." The two women exited the room, leaving Ryan to himself. Looking down, he saw that numerous electrodes had been attached to his arms and chest, obviously to check his vital signs, and figure out what effects the attempted morph had had on his body. What had gone wrong? His many years with the demons, being trained by Diabolico and the others, had hardened him, made him capable of withstanding more power than most humans could. Why had this new power been too much? And if it was too much for him, than where would they find a human that could handle it? Let alone five?  
  
Turning back to face the table, Ryan reached out to grab his Morpher. Fingering it, he remembered the rush of power he had felt the first time he had activated it. He had been full of hate then, determined to destroy his father and the Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. Things were so much different back then. He was different. The love of his family had changed, made him want to become a better person, and see to it that no one would ever had to go through what he had gone through in those demon tombs.  
  
Off in the distance, he could hear alarms going off. Nodding to himself and gritting his teeth in determination, he strapped his old Morpher to his wrist and pushed himself up off the bed. He tore the electrodes off his skin and reached for his shirt and jacket. Duty called.

The corridors were lined with guards, all wielding sidearm weapons very similar to those presently being used by the Silver Guardians against the Necrons on the streets nearby. The laser pistols were no where near as powerful as a Ranger Blaster, but they were strong enough to stop most humans with a single shot.  
  
It was a shame that their adversaries weren't human.  
  
Anubalon came smashing through the guards, knocking them aside like bowling pins, while the laser blasts reflected harmlessly off his tough hide. The guards that escaped the Beast General's brute strength had to deal with Lord Typhus' rapier and Lady Azala's claws. Their weapons were smashed, sliced, and ripped to pieces, and the guards themselves were left lying on the floor in pain.  
  
As the three Tormenta rounded the next corner in their frantic search for the Star, a laser blast hit the back of Anubalo'?s head and finally caught his attention.  
  
"Hold it right there!" cried out a voice from behind them. Turning around, they saw a Power Ranger, clad in metallic silver, with gold lining his boots, gloves, chest and shoulders. His visor took up the entire face of his helmet, designed to look like a victorious V. In his hand, the Titanium Ranger held his Titanium Laser, and aimed it straight at his enemies. "You're not going anywhere."  
  
"I think you're wrong, Ranger," replied Typhus, readying his sword. "You're the one going nowhere!" He lunged, and Ryan had to move quickly to transform his Laser into its battle axe form, and parried the Tormenta Lord's attack. Twisting around, he then moved to strike Azala, who easily caught the axe between here claws.  
  
"You need to do better than that, little Ranger," she said, twisting the axe aside and jumping up on the side of it lightly, before leaping again and kicking Ryan hard in the shoulder. The force of the blow sent him sliding across the floor. Not giving the Ranger a moment to catch his breath, Anubalon charged with his Death Hammer, smashing it down hard with the intent to crush Ryan's skull. A split second before the blow landed, Ryan twisted off to the side to dodge it.  
  
Deciding to move quickly before the hammer came down again, he slid between the brute's legs, rolling quickly to return to his feet. Seeing Azala out of the corner of his eye, he flipped up and over Anubalon's shoulder, striking Typhus hard in the chest with his feet as he did so. The attack had little effect.  
  
Realizing that these enemies would not go down easily, Ryan fled, drawing them away from the wounded guards. Looking around quickly, he spotted something that would buy him the time he needed.  
  
Activating a door panel, he entered a large room. Once he was inside, he turned around, just in time to so Typhus and Azala flip over his head and land behind him. The giant form of Anubalon filled the doorway. He was surrounded.  
  
"Hey, ugly!" Ryan called to him. "What's wrong, can't you fight me on your own? You need these weaklings to fight for you?"  
  
That one hit a nerve.  
  
"ANUBALON FEAR NO ONE!!" the Beast General roared, charging straight at Ryan. The Titanium Ranger leapt deftly over his shoulder, allowing the creature's momentum to carry him straight into the other two Tormenta. The three landed on the floor together in a jumble while Ryan ran back to the door and slammed a panel to lock it shut.  
  
"Hyper-lift! Activate emergency evacuation procedure, now!" Very quickly the floor moved, accelerating faster and faster, carrying them up and away.

"Got it!" Billy exclaimed. Clarke turned to face the general.  
  
"General McKnight, we have the energy shield prepared and ready!"  
  
"Good work, you two. Activate the shield now. We don't have a moment to waste."  
  
"Yes, sir." He hit a few buttons on the computer panel. The shield would be up and running in a matter of moments, and he couldn't have done it without Cranston's help. He still didn't know what to think of this man, but he definitely knew a thing or too about force fields and energy signatures. There was no way Clarke could have done it without him. Patting the wheelchair-bound man on the back, he smiled as he watched the shields reach full strength.

The three Tormenta landed just outside the government building, along with their adversary. Ryan had known that the hyper-lift was only intended as a freight elevator, but its emergency evacuation program had sure proved useful.  
  
Getting up and turning around, he watched as the energy shield came up over the base. It looked as if Clarke had been up to a few things while Ryan had been recovering from the failed morph. Wincing, he grabbed his side, remembering that he was not in the best condition as he turned to meet his foes. They had gotten up as well, and were now staring at the shield.  
  
"Looks like you've been locked out," Ryan told them smugly.  
  
"Perhaps," said Azala. "But there is no reason this should be a total loss."  
  
The three Tormenta advanced upon him.

"Billy, I found something interesting while comparing the physical traits of the Star with Ryan's physiological makeup. Look at this." Cestria handed her husband the printout.  
  
"I think I see what you're getting at," he said, then turned to face General McKnight. "The Star appears to have some organic properties. We learned that while studying it on Aquitar. However, Ryan does not seem to have the genetic sequence that would be needed to bond with its power properly. That's why the morph didn't work."  
  
"Well, Cranston. What are we going to do about that?"  
  
"We need to find individuals that have this morphing factor in their DNA. The M-Factor is essential to activating the Militia Morphers."  
  
"I see." McKnight turned to one of his technicians. "Tell everyone to get the genetic scanners up and running at full capacity. We need a complete scan of everyone in Orange Valley to see who has this...M-Factor. Once you find them, send out agents to retrieve them immediately. It's time to find our new Ranger team."

Once again, Ryan's vision came slowly into focus. This was not shaping up to be a good day for him, and it looked like it had just gotten worse. The being standing in front of him would have intimidated even Diabolico.  
  
"You've done well, my minions," the High Prince spoke. His silver mask slid into place. "It looks as though the Mask of Malice has found a wearer sooner than I thought. Mwah hahahah hahahahaaah!"  
  
His laughter echoed throughout the Fortress of Facades, and Ryan's blood ran cold.  
  
_To Be Continued..._


	3. Call to Arms, Part 3

_**Disclaimer:** I am in no way affiliated with Saban, Disney, or any other owners of the Power Rangers series. All copyrighted material is property of its respective owners. Power Rangers, all its past and present incarnations, and all its distinctive likenesses are trademarked and copyrighted by Disney and Saban Entertainment._

_**Power Rangers Militia**_

_**  
Episode 3: Call to Arms, Part 3**  
Written by Database Ranger_  
  
His fist flew with lightning fast speed, followed soon after by his knee, delivering a powerful kick. The rapid fire assault of blows continued on for several minutes before he finally began to tire. His short dark hair was dripping with sweat, which flowed freely down his Asian features, while his exposed and strained arm muscles glistened with moisture. Deciding that he had had enough of a workout for one day, he showed mercy upon the badly bruised punching bag and went to go grab a towel.  
  
It seemed as though he had been spending a lot of time in the gym lately. After all, considering his present status, there wasn't much else he could do. Reaching a nearby bench, he sat down and pulled a small towel out of his gym bag. After he had wiped off some of the sweat he had accumulated during the workout, the young man took a few sips from his water bottle to replace the moisture flowing freely from his pores. He surveyed the rest of the gym, which was virtually empty. Most of the others would be running drills about this time. He sighed. _I should be with them_, he thought.  
  
Lost in himself, he was startled when he heard someone politely cough behind him. Turning, he saw two men at the door, wearing identical black suits and sunglasses.  
  
"Kevin Kahn?" The one on the right questioned. The young man arched an eyebrow as he stood to face the two strangers.  
  
"That's me. Is there something I can help you two with?"  
  
"We need you to come with us," said the other. "It is extremely important."  
  
"Your country needs you," the first one added, obviously know the effect that phrase would have.  
  
Kevin was doubtful for a moment. He was barely a week into his probation, and suddenly they wanted him back again?  
  
Fortunately for the two men, that moment didn't last long. His government apparently didn't know what it wanted, but he sure did. He grinned and tugged at his sweat-stained red tank top.  
  
"Mind if I change first?"

"Baines! You got a visitor."  
  
Lifting his head up off his pillow, the brown haired young man watched as the door to his cell slid open, cringing slightly at the sound. Seeing someone walk in, he picked himself up off his cot, dusted off his rumpled green dress shirt, and stood to face them. From the looks of him, he had just been awakened from a very relaxing nap, despite his current environment.  
  
"Jack Baines," spoke the suited man in front of him. "I'm here to bail you out."

Sighing, she ruffled through her six-inch-thick pile of paperwork. Had it really been only three years since she had taken this job? It felt like an eternity. Another of her many braids fell over her pretty brown face, obscuring her vision. Taking off her orange hair band, she reached to tie her hair back up into pony tail, and wished someone would fall out the sky and take her back to the kind of work she'd done before. Work that really made her feel like she was making a difference. Suddenly, she heard someone knock on the wall of her cubicle.  
  
"Tara Geddon?" asked the man in black.

"And first place in the Motocross event goes to... Samantha Harding!" the voice over the loudspeaker announced. The blonde motorcyclist walked up to accept her award, tucking her hair behind her ear and smiling modestly as she did so. Holding the trophy in her hands, she couldn't believe that she had come so far. So much had changed in the past two years. _She_ had changed.  
  
The only thing that could have made the moment better would have been if Kelsey was there to share it with her. The former Yellow Ranger had been such a good friend to her, encouraging her return to Motocross and helping keep her smiling, it almost seemed like she should be up there accepting the trophy with her. What sort of emergency could have drawn her away?  
As she stepped down into the crowd, two men in black suits walked up to her. She suddenly got the distinct feeling that her questions were about to be answered.

"Got it," he said, snapping shut his cell phone. "They have the fourth one now. Our guy's the last of them. What's the name again?"  
  
"Pablo Diaz."  
  
"Right. Let's find him."  
  
The two men surveyed the library, the multitude of shelves reflecting off their dark shaded glasses. Rounding a corner, they came up on the ancient mythology section, and a young man of Hispanic descent, wearing a black vest over his gray T-shirt and intently reading a very thick book. As they walking up in front of him, he glanced at them over his glasses.  
  
"You two looking for someone?"

"I still can't believe I'm doing this," muttered General McKnight, pacing up and down worriedly. "How do we even know these people are qualified? For that matter, how do we even know they can be trusted? You said that the Tormenta are shape-shifters." Billy Cranston watched him calmly from his wheelchair.  
  
"I ran a thorough check on their bio-signatures. If they were Tormenta, I would know. As for their qualifications, they seem to be the only five individuals around with the M-Factor, which means that we really have no choice but to trust them."  
  
"And how do I know I can trust you?" He paused then, leveling his gaze on the mysterious genius who seemed to have started this whole thing.  
  
"You don't. But, like I said before, you don't have much choice."

"Does anyone know what this thing is all about?" Jack Baines was one very confused man at the moment. First some guy shows up and bails him out of jail, the next thing he knows he's on his way to city limits of Orange Valley. From the looks of things, he was in a government office building, and he was getting the distinct feeling he had just gotten himself into an even bigger mess than before. The man who had picked him up looked over towards him and arched an eyebrow. Jack raised his hands defensively. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. This definitely looks better than another night in a jail cell. I just want to make sure I'm not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fryer here."  
  
"I'm sure that they will tell us what is going on when the time is right." Looking every bit the military man, Kevin Kahn kept his back straight and his eyes focused forward, not bothering to even glance at the man on his left. He had no idea what this criminal had to do with him, but if the two of them were going to have to be working together, then this new assignment was going to be very unpleasant.  
  
"I have a good idea," Tara Geddon said, trying to hold back a smile. This whole situation was becoming more and more familiar. Five young adults, each picked up by government agents, and taken to a secret location without more than a few words from their abductors. Oh yes, she had definitely seen this situation before.  
  
Both Samantha Harding and Pablo Diaz had remained silent during their respective trips, and that had not changed upon entering the office building with the others. Sam was sure that this had something to do with whatever had drawn Kelsey from the X-treme Tournament, and as for Pablo... the quiet young man had his own suspicions.  
  
The group of thirteen marched down the long corridor, with four agents leading and four more keeping up the rear as they led the five abductees towards what had once been a five-inch thick security door. Now, only a few twisted pieces of metal lingered on the edges of the doorframe. Jack whistled as they walked by, looking over the scorched walls.  
  
"Looks like you guys had quite a security breach, huh?"  
  
After a few more corridors and several flights of stairs, the group had reached a section of the building that still remained unscathed from the attack that had occurred no more than an hour ago. A sleek metal door stood in front of them, with a computer panel to the right of it. One of the agents leaned down to the panel, entering in the private security codes, voiceprint, and retinal scan. The door slid open to reveal a thin, stern-looking man in full military dress.  
  
"I welcome you to the Militia Terrabase," spoke McKnight. "Regretfully, there is no time for a proper tour. The world we know is in grave danger, and the five of you are the only hope it has. What you are about to be shown is to be held in full confidence. If you are willing to accept the task I am about to present to you, then follow me."  
  
Nodding, Kevin stepped forward to follow the elderly general, followed soon after by a determined Tara, a worried Sam, and a curious Pablo. Jack lingered behind, looking around at the agents surrounding him, then hung his head down, sighed, and hurried to catch up with the others as they entered an elevator on the other side of the room.

"Welcome to Sector M-5, General McKnight." The silver doors of the elevator slid open, revealing the room that acted as the primary center of command for the entire base. In the center of the room sat a man in a wheelchair, maybe a few years older than the five young adults following McKnight. Lying on his lap was a circular silver case, and standing by his side was a strange humanoid female, dressed in peculiar robes of black, pink, and lavender, with an alien gold and purple crest covering most of her face and scalp. McKnight paused and turned to gesture at the man in the wheelchair.  
  
"People, this is William Cranston. Perhaps he would be the best in explaining our current dilemma, since he and his wife were the ones to bring it to our attention in the first place." The entire group was a bit startled at the word "wife", but chose not to interrupt, though Jack's eyes were wide as saucers.  
  
"Thank you, General," said Cranston, turning to the group. "There isn't much time, so I'll be brief. An evil alien force has come to Earth. They are known as the Tormenta. Their primary goal is to capture an object of extreme power, known as the Star. If they succeed, the results will be disastrous. At this moment, the Lightspeed Rangers and Silver Guardians are battling their forces in the streets of Orange Valley, and we don't know how much longer they will be able to hold out. We believe that the power of the Star is the only thing that is capable of destroying them." He took a deep breath, and then opened the silver case on his lap to reveal the five Militia Morphers and the M-Badges. "The five of you have been chosen to harness this power, and save this world from the forces of evil. If you accept this responsibility, you will become the Power Rangers Militia."  
  
Five jaws dropped open. Even Tara, who had suspected this since she had been abducted from her office cubicle, stood there in stunned silence. She was the first to recover, though, and quickly stepped forward. William Cranston held up the case to her, and she gently reached out to accept the Orange Militia Morpher and M-Badge. Turning to face the others, she flashed a pretty smile.  
  
"This is something I've wanted to do ever since working with Lightspeed. There's no way I'm going to pass up this chance."  
  
The next to step up was Kevin, with a determined look in his eyes and the hint of a grin tugging at the side of his mouth. Something about the center of that case seemed to call to him, as he reached forwards to pick up the Red Militia Morpher and M-Badge. He turned to face General McKnight before he went to stand beside Tara.  
  
"I've been waiting for the opportunity to see some action, sir. It will be an honor to serve both my country and my planet."  
  
Samantha followed soon after. She looked at the Yellow Militia Morpher and M-Badge, and smiled before taking the two devices out of the silver case. She looked up at the man offering them to her with gratitude in her eyes.  
  
"The Yellow Lightspeed Ranger is a close friend of mine. If this will help her and the other Rangers, then I'm in, no doubt."  
  
Pablo was right behind Sam, and after she had stepped aside to join Kevin and Tara, he walked up to accept his new responsibility. As he looked down at the Black Militia Morpher and M-Badge he held in his hands, he spoke aloud at no one in particular.  
  
"After all these years of studying monsters, I can hardly believe that I'll finally be helping defend the world against some real ones."  
  
Pablo took his place with the others, leaving Jack by himself. Out of the five of them, he seemed least comfortable with this situation. He had never been a hero before, and there were already a few people out there who thought him a villain. Shifting from foot to foot, he looked up at Cranston, looking him square in the eye.  
  
"Why me?" he asked. "Why trust this power to someone like me?"  
  
The man in the wheelchair chuckled a bit at this question, as though it had some sense of nostalgic value. He smiled at Jack reassuringly.  
  
"Because there are only a select few that can use the power of the Star, and you are one of them. Trust me; the power would not accept you unless you already had the power to do some good in this world." The last bit was what got him. _The power to do some good in the world_. This was what echoed through Jack's mind as he accepted the Green Militia Morpher and M-Badge.  
  
"Well," he said, grinning as he walked over to the others. "I have to admit, this place looks a lot better than prison." Jack and the four other newly designated Rangers now stood in a line facing General McKnight, each of them pocketing and M-Badge or strapping a Militia Morpher onto their right wrist. He nodded towards them, then called out to a pair of scientists who had remained unnoticed until now.  
  
"Fairweather. Rawlings. I think it's time to introduce our new recruits to the Terra Cruiser."  
  
"The what?" voiced Jack, as the pair stepped up behind General McKnight.  
  
"Your ride," replied Clarke Fairweather. "Follow us."

Parked in front of the Rangers was a sleek blue vehicle, designed to seat a driver and four passengers, no more, no less. A huge black wheel was at the front and the rear of the Terra Cruiser, with a stylized silver M adorning the front bumper. Each seat was colored, indicated who was meant to sit in it, with red in the front, orange and yellow in the middle, and green and black taking up the rear. Clarke proudly introduced the new Rangers to his creation.  
  
"I like to think that the Militia project has picked up where Lightspeed left off. While the Lightspeed Rangers have the Rescue Rover, you will ride the Terra Cruiser into battle. This new vehicle is faster, more maneuverable, and better shielded. It will get you where you need to be, when you need to be there, and see that nothing happens to you in between." As he spoke, the Rangers each got in their seats, matching up the seat colors to the Morphers they had chosen.  
  
"When you get there," Angela spoke up, "morph immediately. We don't know how much longer the others can hold out, so we can't afford to waste time. Your Milidisks are in your M-Badges. To morph, insert the disk into the side of your Morpher and call out the activation code, 'Armed and Dangerous'. You'll know what to do from there."  
  
"Will do," said Kevin as he finished securing his safety belt. "Now I have a question. How do I drive this thing?"  
  
"You won't have to," replied Clarke, walking over to a nearby control panel. "The coordinates are programmed into the Cruiser. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride." He hit a few buttons and the five passengers were startled as clear panels slid up and out of the side doors, curving up to meet at the bar that ran along the center of the Terra Cruiser. Between the windshield, doors, and panels, they were completely protected, and effect gave their vehicle an even sleeker appearance than before. Another few taps and a circular door opened in front of them. They heard a hum as the engine revved up, and suddenly they were off like a rocket through the exit tunnel.  
  
"WOOOOOHOOOO!" Jack cried out, as the tunnel twisted upwards, and another circular door opened in front of them, revealing clear blue sky. The Terra Cruiser shot up into the air, then landed smoothly on the streets of Orange Valley. Behind them, the exit tunnel closed up, leaving no clue that five people in a rocket car had just been launched out of the center of Nectarine Park.

After nearly two solid hours of fighting Necrons, the seven Rangers weren't just tired, they were exhausted. They had all pushed their powers and their bodies to the limit, but nothing seemed to put a dent in the Tormenta army. Far too many times now, a Ranger had been saved by a lucky shot by a Silver Guardian. Despite being unpowered humans, the defense force was an immense help. From the sidelines, they were able to keep the Necrons from overwhelming their leaders and the Lightspeed team. Unfortunately, they were running low on ammunition, and things were looking grim.  
  
"Carter! Watch your back!" Wes cried out, shooting down a Necron before it was able to slash the Red Lightspeed Ranger with its Spinal Scimitar.  
  
"Thanks!" replied Carter, just before parrying another attack with his V-Lancer. After slashing the creature across the chest, he paused a moment to grab his own. His heart was pumping a mile a minute. He looked over at Chad, who was fighting bravely to protect Kelsey. The Yellow Ranger had been knocked down by one of her opponents, and had not yet regained enough strength to get back up. It was strange to see the usually energetic girl lying on her side like that, but he didn't have much time to worry about her before yet another attacker came at him from the right.  
  
Joel and Dana were side by side, firing outward with their Rescue Blasters while Eric used the sword form of his Quantum Defender to fight off any enemies who managed to get in too close.  
  
"I can't believe that even the Mega Battles didn't put a dent in these guys!" the Quantum Ranger exclaimed.  
  
"I know," said Joel. "All mine managed to do was slow me down!"  
  
"We can't keep this up much longer," panted Dana. "We need help!"  
  
On the other side of the street, Chad overheard his fellow Rangers' conversation, in between the blows he was trading with his opponents. Looking over his shoulder at his fallen friend, the Blue Ranger shook his head and spoke quietly.  
  
"We don't need help," he told himself. "We need a miracle."  
  
Right at that moment, a streak of blue came tearing down the street, twisting and turning to avoid the Rangers and Guardians, while at the same time knocking over as many Necrons as possible. It skidded to a halt at the edge of the battlefield, and the fighters saw that it was a two wheeled vehicle, sleek and streamlined, with a clear elongated dome protecting the five humans inside. Supports immediately dropped down to keep it upright, as the dome split and slid into the side doors. Kevin, Jack, Tara, Sam, and Pablo leaped out, looking very much like they had just ridden the world's fastest roller coaster. In truth, the ride in the Terra Cruiser had been far more intense.  
  
"Need some help?" asked Samantha. At her voice, the Yellow Lightspeed Ranger lifted up her head. Behind her visor, Kelsey's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the speaker.  
  
"Sam?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"We're the reinforcements!" Kevin told her, showing his M-Badge. He looked back to the others. "You guys ready?"  
  
"Ready!" they replied, brandishing their own M-Badges. Then, in unison, all five flipped open their Badges to reveal their quarter-sized silver Milidisks. They removed the Disks, and in one smooth motion closed their M-Badges, bringing the handheld devices up over their left shoulders and sliding their Milidisks into their Militia Morphers.  
  
"Armed and Dangerous!" they cried into their Morphers, then thrust their Badges out in front of them. The Militia Morphers glowed red, green, orange, yellow, and black, then each shot a beam of light that went right through the hand of its wearer, charging up the M-Badge. Streams of white and blue light shot out of the M-Badges, and the five young adults were quickly ensconced in spheres of light, while the Power Rangers and Silver Guardians looked on in astonishment. Within those spheres, transformations were taking place.  
  
Kevin's sphere was tinged with red, and inside it, he was amazed to see his M-Badge dissipate into energy and travel up along his arm, leaving behind a white glove with a red stripe that covered his entire thumb. The Militia Morpher was left unchanged, embedded in the white material. The glove ended, its edge trimmed with blue, but the energy continued to travel up his arm. As he brought his fist up to his face, blue material formed on the rest of his arm, until it reached his shoulder, which was quickly covered in white. The energy traveled along the right side of his body, continuing the formation of blue material all the way down his leg, where a white boot formed that was of the same style as the glove, trimmed with blue and with a red stripe down the front.  
  
It was then that the energy left him. He dropped his arm to his side and watched as it shot off his foot in the form of a red ball and merged with the sphere of light. Suddenly he was surrounded with red. He crossed his arms over his chest to brace himself, as the ball of energy shot back at him and hit his abdomen, pulling the sphere of light along with it like a vacuum. Kevin absorbed it all, the uncovered half of his body glowing bright red until the entire sphere had disappeared, and he dropped his arms down to reveal his new form.  
  
He was no longer Kevin Kahn. On his hands and feet were white gloves and boots, trimmed with blue and striped red, with the Red Militia Morpher embedded in the right glove. The right side of his body was covered in blue, the left side red. His shoulders were sheathed in white, and a white belt encircled his waist. Hanging from the right side of the belt was a holstered laser pistol, while on the left was a sheathed dagger. Adorning his belt buckle was the Red M-Badge. Over his heart was an emblem of a red jet flying through a blue circle, and underneath it was a horizontal bar of five colored squares, red, green, orange, yellow, and black. A thick black line separated the red side of his body from the blue, traveling up between his legs, beneath his belt, and up towards his right shoulder, before changing direction sharply to sweep over his left shoulder and down his back.  
  
His neck was white, leading up to a red helmet that covered his entire head. Where his mouth once was, there was now a featureless piece of silver metal. Above it was a black visor, shaped very much like a stretched out "V". To either side of the visor was a circular silver earpiece with a red "1" imprinted on it. The white plate shielding his forehead was marked with a large red "M", identical to the one marking his Militia Morpher and M-Badge. Sweeping his fists out in front of him, he announced his new identity.  
  
"Red Militia Power Ranger!" he called, opening his fists and crossing his arms over his chest before stepping and leaning forward with his arms swept out behind him like wings.  
  
Behind and to the right of the Red Militia Ranger, a green sphere of light disappeared to reveal another figure. His uniform matched the Red Ranger's, except that the red portions had been replaced with green, and his visor was an oval, with a thick green vertical line coming halfway down into it. On the side of his helmet was a green "2", and the emblem on his chest showed a green tank plowing through a blue circle. As he swept his fists forward, the one who had formally been Jack Baines identified himself.  
  
"Green Militia Power Ranger!" he cried out, also crossing his arms in front of him, but then stepping forward and down and swinging his fists out in front of him like a battering ram.  
  
On the opposite side of the Red Ranger, the orange sphere cleared to show a distinctly feminine figure. Her uniform was identical to the other two, except orange where the others had been green and red. Her visor was shield-shaped, squared at the top, but curving down to a point at the bottom, and the number "3" marked her silver earpiece. A V-2 Halftrack roared through the blue circle of the emblem worn by the one who had been Tara Geddon.  
  
"Orange Militia Power Ranger!" she yelled out, sweeping her arms forward and then crossing them over her chest like the others before stepping back and turning her body sideways, her left fist stretched out in front of her while the other was held ready at her belt.  
  
Behind and to the left of the Orange Ranger, where Samantha Harding had stood, the yellow sphere released another feminine figure, one dressed in yellow. Her visor was a rectangle with rounded off corners, and she had a "4" imprinted on the side of her helmet. A charged Humvee in a blue circle was her emblem.  
  
"Yellow Militia Power Ranger!" she announced, dropping into a pose as the others had, stepping forward and down to bring her left forearm in front of her and her right fist to her waist.  
  
Lastly, opposite the Yellow Ranger, behind and to the right of the Green, the black sphere of light dispersed. Where Pablo Diaz had been was now a male figure in black. A white line outlined his "X"-shaped visor, and a black "5" was on his earpiece. On his emblem, a helicopter chopped its way through its blue circle.  
  
"Black Militia Power Ranger!" he said, following the lead of the others, then stepping and leaning forward with his left forearm in front of him and his right arm stretched out behind.  
  
The five transformed individuals then broke their poses, reversing the motions they had just made and declaring to everyone the name of their new team.  
  
"Power Rangers... Militia!"

The battle was joined. The Militia Rangers were now proving themselves to be valuable fighters, and the Rangers that were there before now fought with renewed hope and strength. The Silver Guardians were out of ammunition, and quickly found themselves unneeded, as they watched the new team split up and join forces with the others.  
  
Back to back, the Black Militia and Green Lightspeed Rangers fought bravely. Pablo reached towards his belt to unsheathe a blue-hilted silver dagger with a golden "M"-shaped guard, while Joel reached for his Rescue Blaster.  
  
"M-Dagger!"  
  
"Rescue Blaster, Baton Mode!"  
  
Joel parried a Necron attack, then spun away so his partner could slash it across the chest. To the surprise of all three, the attack left a deep cut in the creature's chest armor that did not heal. The Green Ranger shook his head and looked at the man standing beside him.  
  
"Looks like you fellas got here just in time!"

Sam had immediately run over to aid Chad and Kelsey. The Yellow Lightspeed Ranger was finally back on her feet, but both she and the Blue Ranger had suffered heavily in this battle.  
  
"Hey guys! Line up some for me!"  
  
"You got it!" they replied, each dodging an attack, causing two of the Necrons to collide between them. The moment they did, the Yellow Militia Ranger ducked down into a roll, kicking both soldiers square in the chest as she brought her feet around, then flipping back up into a fighting stance.

In all the chaos, Carter and Dana had gotten thrown in together, along with the Orange Militia Ranger. As the trio was quickly surrounded by Necrons, the two Lightspeed Rangers drew their Rescue Blasters. Tara reached for her right hip and pulled out a blue laser pistol marked with a golden "M".  
  
"Rescue Blasters!"  
  
"M-Pistol!"  
  
"Let's do it!" they cheered to each other. Back to back to back, the three Rangers rotated around, stunning the Necrons with their Rescue Blasters, and then taking them down with powerful blasts from the M-Pistol. By the time they stopped spinning, not one of those Necrons were left standing.

The Green Militia Ranger was doing his best to fight off the creatures attacking him, hacking, slashing, and stabbing with his M-Dagger as best as he could. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as one of them nailed him with a kick to the stomach. He dropped to his knees, and looked up to see a Spinal Scimitar come swinging down towards him. Before he even had a chance to react, the blade was parried by the Quantum Ranger, who then followed through with a kick to the creature's midsection.  
  
"Thanks," Jack said, getting up to meet his rescuer.  
  
"You just learned one of the most important rules about being a Ranger," Eric told him. "Never be afraid to ask for help."  
  
The new Ranger nodded in understanding, and the two dove back into battle together.

A blur of red moved swiftly through the sea of skeletal soldiers. The Red Militia Ranger had joined up with the Red Time Force Ranger, and the two were proving to be a formidable fighting force. Wes delivered a sidekick that sent one Necron flying straight into Kevin's roundhouse, knocking it to the ground with a satisfying thud. Using the momentum from his kick, the Militia Ranger followed up with a punch to the gut of another Necron, and then flipped it over his shoulder.  
  
"Chronosabers!" Turning around, he saw Wes summon his twin weapons, delivering a powerful spinning slash across the chests of three Necrons.  
  
"Good idea!" Kevin exclaimed, drawing his M-Pistol, then switching it over to his left hand so he could draw his M-Dagger. Spinning around, he slashed one enemy across the chest before blasting another in the shoulder.

The tide had now turned in the Rangers' favor, as the Necrons quickly found themselves clustered in the center of the street, surrounded by a dozen Power Rangers. The Red Militia Ranger stepped forward, wielding both M-Dagger and M-Pistol. He looked to his teammates.  
  
"I say we finish this!"  
  
"Right!" they all agreed, as they too drew their weapons. They then each slid the blade of their M-Dagger into the back of their M-Pistol, until the dagger's "M"-shaped guard locked in between the golden "M"s on either side of the pistol, causing the M-Pistol's barrel to extend, doubling in length.  
  
"Militia Blasters!" they all called out, as they aimed for the center of the circle. "Fire!"  
  
Despite their incredible healing capabilities, the Necrons were unable to withstand five laser blasts fueled with the power of the Star itself, and the creatures were reduced to dust. From their remains, the souls that had been used to create them swirled upwards and into the sky. The Power Rangers and the Silver Guardians held their breaths in disbelief for a moment before breaking out into celebration. Everyone cheered and patted the new Rangers on their backs, congratulating them on a job well done.  
  
The celebration was short-lived, though, as a sudden impact shook the ground beneath their feet. Their heads whipped around to see a massive beast standing in the middle of a nearby intersection. It was wearing golden chest armor, and silver fur ran all along its body. Over its face was a sneering golden mask, carved to look like a jackal. The creature was soon joined by two more strange beings. The one that landed to his right looked like a man wearing billowy pants and black chest armor, but his skin was marred with deformed faces, and he wore a frowning black mask. Landing to the left was what appeared to be a woman in a purple gown, but she was far too thin and pale, with long claws and a smiling white mask.  
  
The Rangers stared in stunned silence for a moment before the Black Ranger stepped forward.  
  
"Who are you?" he demanded.  
  
"Who ME?!" the massive beast roared, pounding its chest. "Me Beast General ANUBALON!"  
  
"And I am Lord Typhus," spoke the male creature to his right.  
  
"And I am Lady Azala," added the female.  
  
"We TORMENTA!" announced Anubalon proudly.  
  
"Then you are the ones responsible for all this!" accused Kevin, stepping up beside Pablo. Azala chuckled in response.  
  
"That's right," she said. "We were the ones who set loose the Necrons."  
  
"And you will pay for destroying my creations," Typhus told them sternly.  
  
"Us have big surprise for you," Anubalon rumbled.  
  
"It's a new friend of ours," said Azala.  
  
"And an old friend of yours," finished Typhus. With that, a fourth creature leapt down from the rooftops. This one was silver and gold, and most definitely male. Its muscles might not have been as intimidating as Anubalon's, but this monster appeared to be a far more formidable fighter. It had white boots and gloves trimmed with broad bands of gold, and a golden belt with a circular buckle. A broad golden stripe traveled up its abdomen and split at its chest to merge with the two huge shoulder pads that extended a foot beyond each arm. In its hand was a huge silver battleaxe with a black and gold blade. Covering its head was a silver helmet, with a black visor trimmed with gold, shaped like an enormous "V", and extending from its chin to a foot beyond the top of its head. Where its eyes would be, it wore a black eye mask with a white gem between the eyes. When it spoke, its voice sounded like cold steel.  
  
"I am Neo-Titan."  
  
The Pink Lightspeed Ranger gasped, recognizing the voice and its owner despite all the twisted distortion. The others looked back at her, not understanding.  
  
"Dana," asked Wes, "do you know this guy?"  
  
"Yes," she replied, trembling. "It... it's Ryan. It's my brother."  
  
Carter whipped his head back around, realizing the truth of his teammate's words.  
  
"Alright, Tormenta, what have you done to Ryan?"  
  
"He meet master," Anubalon chuckled. "Master make him better. Make him strong. Make him TORMENTA!" With that, he began laughing maniacally. "Now we make him better too!" He continued laughing as Azala stepped up in front of him, and began to swirl her arms around in a strange, seductive dance, singing a strange siren song as she did so. The Rangers looked up to the sky, and watched in horror as the souls that had been released from the Necrons descended back down towards them. They swirled around Azala, until Typhus stepped forward and let loose a deep bellow. Extending his right hand forward, he drew them all into the mouth that opened in his palm. Spinning around, he issued a blast from his left hand straight into Neo-Titan's back. The former Ranger arched his back in pain at first, then began to accept it, allowing the souls to feed into his body, increasing his size and strength, causing him to grow. By the time all the souls had been released into the monster's body, Neo-Titan towered above the Rangers, exceeding the height of every building in the city.  
  
"Aw, man. I wish I hadn't left my Q-Rex at home!" Eric groaned.

"No!" McKnight shouted, slamming his hands down on the console. "I was afraid this would happen! We're not ready for this!"  
  
Billy looked over at him, his brow creased with worry.  
  
"Do you have any way to help them? Zords? Anything?"  
  
"Of course we do! The Militia project originally began as a Zord experiment. They were intended to work off the technology that was pioneered by the Lifeforce Megazord over three years ago. The whole point of creating the Rangers was to have pilots that could withstand the extreme physical strain of piloting such a Zord."  
  
"Then why don't you send those Zords out now?"  
  
"We haven't had a chance to test them! We never had pilots before!"  
  
"Well, you have five pilots now, General. I think it's time for that test."  
  
General McKnight struggled with himself for a moment before looking up at the monitor again. He nodded as he made his decision.  
  
"Open communications channel."

"We need to get him away from the city!" Wes told his partner.  
  
"Right," Eric replied. "TF Eagle!"  
  
"Strata Cycle!"  
  
The two thrust their fists up in the air as two portals opened in the sky. From one came the Quantum Ranger's sleek white jet, while the Red Ranger's red and silver hover cycle flew through the other. The two Time Force Rangers leapt up and onto their vehicles, flying off in hope of somehow saving the city. Meanwhile, the Lightspeed Rangers were trying to comfort Dana, and the Militia Rangers were having a meeting of their own.  
  
"What are we supposed to do now?" Samantha asked aloud. "We can't just stand by and do nothing."  
  
Before Kevin could respond, a voice came through loud and clear in their helmets.  
  
"Rangers," General McKnight told them. "You need to return to the Terra Cruiser."  
  
"Retreat, sir?" Kevin asked.  
  
"No, quite the contrary. Just get in there and place your M-Badges on the consoles."  
  
"Right. Let's go, guys."  
  
"We'll be right back, Kelse!" Sam shouted over to the Lightspeed Rangers as the five of them ran back to their sleek vehicle and hopped into their color-coded seats. In front of each of them was a computer console with a triangular indentation. Reaching for their belts, they each removed their M-Badge and placed it in the console in front of them. Suddenly, the panels slid shut again, and they were off, racing down to the harbor.  
  
As they neared the water, they watched in awe as an enormous ship emerged from the waves, bigger than any aircraft carrier. They braced themselves as they launched off the edge of the pier and onto the deck of the skip, where yet another access tunnel opened up. Inside the ship, they were greeted by a mechanical female voice, much like the one they had heard in the Terrabase.  
  
"Welcome to Fortriton, Power Rangers. Prepare for ejection."  
  
"Ejection?" Jack asked nervously. He was suddenly answered when the Terra Cruiser came to an abrupt halt, its panels opening to reveal five large color-coded tubes, one over each of their seats. Each seat then shot up and into a tube, bringing each Ranger along for the ride. The thrill ride lasted only a few seconds before each of them were deposited in a separate cockpit.  
  
Kevin looked down at his control panel, which had remained attached to his seat the entire time, and was now linking up to the larger panel of the cockpit. He read the screen in front of him, and announced his status to the others over his comlink, hearing his teammates doing the same.  
  
"Milizord 1, online!" said Kevin.  
  
"Milizord 2, online!" said Jack.  
  
"Milizord 3, online!" said Tara.  
  
"Milizord 4, online!" said Samantha.  
  
"Milizord 5, online!" said Pablo.

Fortriton lifted up above the waters, and sailed through the skies. It did look very much like an aircraft carrier, except for its size, and the long laser cannon mounted on its deck. Hoverjets beneath the hull allowed it to rise above the city, as five compartments began to open up. The starboard side of the deck opened up, and out flew Milizord 1, a sleek red jet, styled after an F-15. The starboard side of the hull released Milizord 2, a powerful green tank, which hit the ground running. The front of the hull opened next, letting out Milizord 3, a huge V-2 Halftrack hauling an enormous missile. The port side of the hull then opened, and Milizord 4, a yellow Humvee, sped out and joined the other two earthbound Zords. Lastly, Milizord 5 lifted up and out of the port side of the deck, modeled after an Apache helicopter.  
  
The five Milizords raced along the outskirts of town to the nearby mountain range, where the two Time Force Rangers had managed to lure Neo-Titan. They were still flying around the giant deformed Titanium Ranger, taking random shots to irritate him into following them. They had managed to keep just out of his range up until this point, but after a full day of fighting, they were growing weary, and it was only a matter of time before they were swatted out of the sky.  
  
"Stand down, guys!" Kevin told them over the comlink. "The cavalry's here!"  
  
"Whoa!" exclaimed Wes, seeing the Zords heading towards them. "You got it guys!" He and Eric twisted off to the side, flying back towards the city.  
  
"Alright, Rangers," General McKnight instructed them. "This is your first test of your new Zords, so don't try anything fancy. It will take time to accustom yourselves to the physical strain, so I want you in and out before you begin to feel any weakness. Initiate Militia Megazord sequence now!"  
  
"Right, sir," Kevin replied. He looked down to see his hands trembling a bit on the controls, and his eyes opened wide in shock. Concentrating hard, he steadied himself and called out to the others. "Let's do it!"  
  
"Initiating Militia Megazord!" they cried in unison.  
  
Aiming its missile up into the sky, Milizord 3 launched it high into the stratosphere, then slammed on its breaks and rolled over. The cab folded over the back section to form feet, then the back section folded over to form knees, as the entire Zord split down the middle. Milizord 5's side missile launchers folded back to merge with its tail, while Milizord 2's turret was ejected and bonded to the side of the helicopter. The Black Ranger's Milizord then twisted around, its tail splitting and separating, then bonding with Orange Ranger's Milizord to form a giant set of legs. Milizord 4's grill folded up and over its hood, as the back end of the Zord slid into the front, shortening it. It then split cleanly down the middle, each half attaching itself to one side of Milizord 2. Lastly, Milizord 1 swooped down, also splitting in half. The rear engines of the Red Ranger's jet connected to the front ends of the Yellow Ranger's divided Zord.  
  
The newly formed three-Zord unit then flew into the sky, using red wings of Milizord 1 to guide it over the legs formed by Milizords 3 and 5. It slowly came down, with Milizord 5's cabin sliding into the bottom of Milizord 2. As it did, a head rotated out of a compartment inside the Green Ranger's Zord. While this was happening, Milizord 1's cockpit halves rotated into its body, while two fists rotated out. The arms and shoulders formed by Milizords 1 and 3 rotated downward, while the treads of Milizord 2 swung inward to cover the empty compartment, and Milizord 5's rotors swung upward and joined to form a "V" over the chest. The final touch was the golden horn that slid out of the center of the stylized "M" on the top of the Megazord's head, which had a pair of golden eyes and a silver mouth cover.  
  
Reaching for its waist, the Megazord grabbed the sword grip that slid out of Milizord 2's turret and pulled, just as Milizord 3's missile returned from the sky. Catching it with its hand, the Megazord opened up the missile, transforming it into a shield, marked with the stylized "M". Hefting the sword it drew from the turret, and pulling its shield close to its body, the giant robot assumed a fighting stance, and lighting crackled.  
  
"Militia Megazord!" the Rangers shouted, as their seats slid into position in the centralized cockpit in the head of the Megazord.  
  
Neo-Titan charged them, wielding his massive battleaxe and slashing downward.  
  
"Militia Mega Shield!" Tara declared, as the blow was knocked aside by the Megazord's shield.  
  
"How about you put that weapon down?" Pablo said politely, as a giant fist smashed down on the monster's arm, causing him to drop his axe.  
  
"You will pay for that!" the monster threatened them, before kicking the Megazord hard in the chest, causing sparks to fly. Inside the cockpit, the Rangers struggled to maintain control.  
  
"Man, that guy really packs a wallop!" Jack exclaimed.  
  
"Look out, here he comes again!" alerted Samantha, as Neo-Titan attempted another kick. This time they were ready for him, though, as they knocked aside the monster's foot with their sword, bringing it back around to slash him across the chest.  
  
"It's time to finish this!" Kevin announced, as they brought the sword up high.  
  
"You wouldn't dare destroy one of your own," the metallic monster said as it held its chest, gasping for breathe.  
  
"You're not one of us," Tara told him.  
  
"You're just a monster," said Pablo.  
  
"Who's captured one of our friends," Sam continued.  
  
"And now it's time to cut him loose," finished Jack.  
  
"Ready, guys?" asked Kevin.  
  
"Militia Megazord Saber, Star Strike!" they all cried out, as the Militia Megazord brought its Saber down and to right, then up and to the left, across, down and left, and then up and right to carve a star of light in the air.  
  
"NOOOOOOOO!!!" Neo-Titan cried out, as the Star Strike flew through the air, slicing through him five times before he fell to the ground, exploding in a burst of energy. From the blast emerged all the souls that had been contained inside his body, as well as the eyepiece of the Mask of Malice.  
  
The Lightspeed Rangers arrived in the Rescue Rover just in time to watch the burst of energy collapse back on itself, coalescing into a human form on the ground.  
  
"Ryan!" Dana cried out, leaping out of her seat before the vehicle had even come to complete stop. The other Rangers joined her, as did the Time Force Rangers, and the Militia Rangers leapt down from their Megazord. Together they all demorphed, and watched as Dana helped her brother up to his feet.  
  
"Ryan," Carter asked him. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I am now," he replied, before turning to face the Militia Rangers. "Thank you, for setting me free."

All thirteen Power Rangers were celebrating their victory down in Sector M-5 of the Militia Terrabase. General McKnight had felt that the other seven Rangers had earned the right to see his facility, even though he generally disapproved of outsiders.  
  
Ryan, Carter, Joel, Chad, Kelsey, Dana, Eric, and Wes bid farewell to the new team. They realized that only the Star would be able to defeat these new enemies, and that the Earth was being left in good hands.  
  
On the outskirts of everything, a young man sat in a wheelchair, his wife standing by his side with her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Well, my love," Cestria said to him. "You did it. You're back helping a Ranger team again. How does it feel?"  
  
Billy paused for a moment, surveying the happy scene, and smiled as he grasped his wife's hand.  
  
"It feels... like home."  
  
_The End...  
...of the Beginning..._


	4. Access Memory

_**Disclaimer:** I am in no way affilliated with Saban, Disney, or any other owners of the Power Rangers series. All copyrighted material is property of its respective owners. Power Rangers, all its past and present incarnations, and all its distinctive likenesses are trademarked and copyrighted by Disney and Saban Entertainment._

_**Power Rangers Militia**_

**_Episode 4: Access Memory_**  
_Written by Database Ranger_  
  
"_You fools_!" The High Prince's voice reverberated throughout the Fortress of Facades. "You were _there_! You had the opportunity to capture the Star, and you let it slip through your _fingers_!" His three servants cowered on the floor, careful not to meet the eyes of their master, which were now blazing red through his golden mask of rage. "And _why_? _Why_ have all these centuries of lying in wait gone to waste? Because you let an insignificant _human_ get the better of you! A human that these new 'Militia Rangers' defeated without even breaking a sweat!" He slammed the tip of his staff against the tiled floor, sending tremors throughout the entire structure. Taking a deep breath then, he bowed his head down, as his red eyes faded, and his golden mask split down the middle, revealing first his inactive silver mask, and then his calm white mask. As his blue eyes lit up, Trilorin spoke again, his voice now far more diplomatic then it had been mere seconds before.  
  
"However, now is not the time for pointless rage. Now is the time for thought. We need to reevaluate our plans." Walking as he spoke, the Tormenta leader moved towards his throne, which was carved to look like an immense three-headed dragon, identical to the one that headed his staff. The green, black, and violet scales of the throne perfectly matched the scaled body of the High Prince as he sat and addressed his subjects. "Well? Do you have any information for me? Any information at all about these new Power Rangers?"  
  
"I think I may have something, my liege."  
  
"Then speak, Lord Typhus."  
  
"The Yellow Ranger... she seems very close to the Yellow Ranger of the Lightspeed team."  
  
"I hope you don't intend a replicate of our last attack on the Rangers. They will very likely be on their guards now, and I doubt that they will allow another of their own to be taken. Not to mention that even the most powerful of the Lightspeed Rangers posed no challenge to them." The golden mask halves began to twitch.  
  
"Oh no, High Prince, not at all," Typhus spoke quickly to placate his leader. "I suggest more of a recon mission. It is well known that the Yellow Lightspeed Ranger is an athlete of this planet. I think it a very real possibility that this new Yellow Ranger may be a teammate of hers."  
  
"Very observant, Typhus. I am impressed."  
  
"Thank you, my liege. I also observed that she was the only one of the new Rangers referred to by name during the battle. Using this information, we can infiltrate the sports team's headquarters, and look up whatever files they may have on this... Sam. With luck, whatever we find will aid us in better understanding and defeating our enemy."  
  
"Excellent. I want you to get to work on this immediately, Typhus."  
  
"My liege?" spoke Azala, who up until now had been bowing silently between Typhus and Anubalon.  
  
"Yes, Azala? You have something to add?"  
  
"I do, High Prince," the female Tormenta said respectfully. "I humbly request to be the one that retrieves this information. My skills as at infiltration are greater than those of Lord Typhus, and I feel a great need to redeem myself after failing to capture the Star."  
  
Trilorin looked at her for a few moments before responding.  
  
"Very well, then. I leave this task in your hands, Lady Azala. And take the Eyes of Malice with you, to use as you see fit." With that, he dismissed them.  
  
As soon as they were out of earshot, Typhus pulled Azala aside.  
  
"What was that back there?" he asked calmly.  
  
"What was what?" she replied innocently, the smile on her mask seeming more prominent than usual.  
  
"That little display. Trying to gain the favor of the High Prince?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Then why were you so eager to take this assignment? Do you have some sort of fascination with this Ranger?"  
  
"I have my reasons, Typhus. And I trust that you will allow me to handle this on my own."

Samantha Harding set her last cardboard box down on her new bed. Looking around her new quarters, she sighed. They had all had to give up their old lives when they accepted the Militia powers. It was simply too dangerous for them to stay independent. One of their enemies could easily take them by surprise if they strayed from the Terrabase, and the city needed the Rangers ready and waiting at all times. And knowing all this didn't make Samantha's sterile new surroundings any more comforting.  
  
She was soon startled by a knock on her door, but that was soon followed by one of the more comforting voices that she had heard since becoming a Ranger.  
  
"May I come in?"  
  
"Sure, Tara," Sam replied, grinning as the door slid open to reveal her new teammate. She had taken an instant liking to the cheerful Orange Ranger, who reminded her very much of her friend Kelsey.  
  
"Need any help unpacking?"  
  
"Sure. Pick a box."  
  
The two girls got to work. After a few minutes of emptying boxes, Tara noticed a picture frame among the seemingly random pile of her new friend's possessions. Turning it over, she saw that it was a picture of Sam and Kelsey, arms around each other's shoulders, holding a trophy high in the air. Both of their faces radiated pride.  
  
"Was this your first win?" Tara asked, gesturing towards the photo. The blonde looked up from the suitcase she had been unloading, a small smile coming over her face as she saw the image.  
  
"No," she answered. "But it sure felt like it. I used to ride back in high school, and after I graduated, it was my plan to turn pro. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way I planned. I was in a really dark place when I met Kelsey. She got me back to competing, and we've been friends ever since. That trophy was a triumph for both of us. If she hadn't helped me, I don't know where I'd be now."  
  
"Wow." The black girl looked down at the picture, then back up at her friend. "Now I see why you were so eager to help her. It sounds like she really did a lot for you."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So what was it that happened before you met Kelsey?"  
  
Samantha was silent then. Turning her head away from Tara, she returned to unpacking her suitcase.  
  
"You know, I think that picture would look best up on that shelf."

"Why is it that every man I knock unconscious is a snorer?" Azala asked herself, doing her best to tune out the loud respiratory noises emanating from the security guard on the floor. Typing away quickly on the keyboard in front of her, she scanned through the files on the team's members. It didn't take long to find the file she was looking for.  
  
Last Name: Harding  
First Name: Samantha  
DOB: 10-28-1982  
Sport: Motocross  
Status: Inactive  
  
Hitting the print button, Azala took a closer look at the profile picture, then read through the rest of Samantha Harding's file.  
  
"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "It is her. Well, it looks like it's a small world after all. Let's see what I can do to arrange a little reunion." With that, she opened the computer's disk drive and inserted the black eyepiece from the Mask of Malice. Stepping back, Azala looked on as sparks began to spread out and surround the computer. The green light reflected off her pristine white mask as the machine was transformed by the Eyes of Malice. The tower doubled, then tripled in size, and the speakers bonded to its sides. From each speaker, an arm emerged, one reaching for the flat screen monitor, the other reaching for the keyboard. Suddenly, a pair of legs shot out of the bottom of the tower, and the new creature stepped down from the desk. Once the monitor had been placed atop its head and the keyboard upon its newly formed hips, the Tormenta monster was complete.  
  
"I am Computron," it said, as white eyes lit up behind its eyepiece. "Your prompt is my command."

"Now that you have all settled in, your official Ranger training can begin," General McKnight spoke aloud to the five young adults standing at attention in front of him. Continuing, he motioned to the neatly folded clothing on the table to his right. "These are your official Ranger jackets. In the upper left pocket are your identification and key cards. Keep these on you at all times. The jackets and cards will allow you to access most of the areas of the Terrabase. Note, retinal scan, thumb print, and voice identification are still required for entry to the base itself, as well as to the more secure areas. Once you finish donning your new uniforms, Mr. Fairweather will introduce you to the new additions to your arsenal. Now that Mrs. Rawlings has left our organization, he will act as head of research and development, and he will be assisted by Mr. and Mrs. Cranston, whose knowledge of the Star and of alien technology has made them essential additions to the Militia project."  
  
Billy blushed a bit at this statement. He had always been somewhat shy when it came to his intelligence, ever since he was a little boy. Looking up at his wife, he saw her gills flare slightly, and smiled. She was shy too. Turning back to the Ranger team, he watched them put on their new jackets from his seat. Although he no longer had need of a wheelchair, Billy still did not yet have the strength to stand for long periods of time, and required the use of a cane to walk. It would still be a few weeks before his injuries from the crash were fully healed.  
  
The Rangers were now all wearing their jackets, cut to look very similar to their Power Ranger suits. The primary difference was the inversions of color, blue becoming the dominant and Ranger color becoming the recessive. Also, instead of their individual emblems, the five wore their M-Badges over their hearts.  
  
"Right over here, Rangers," Clarke said as he ushered them over to a wall on the opposite side of the room. The burly scientist tapped a few buttons on the wall, causing a panel to slide open and reveal a hidden compartment. Five pairs of eyes widened as they saw the contents of the compartment. It was a weapons rack. But these were unlike any weapons they had ever seen before. "These are your Battle Weapons. Besides your M-Daggers and M-Pistols, each of you will now be able to call upon your own personalized weapon, modeled after your Milizord. Kevin, you will wield the Jet Saber," he said, gesturing to the streamlined silver sword with red hilt and a guard shaped to look like wings. "Jack, your weapon is the Tank Staff." The long green staff was modeled after the barrel of a tank at either end. "Tara, you shall receive the V-2 Launcher." He motioned to the missile launcher with the orange tip and grip. "Samantha, these are your Hummer Shields." The twin circular shields were marked with concentric circles of yellow, white, blue, and black. "And the Helicopter Boomerang Blades are Pablo's." At the bottom of the weapons rack were two small, curved, black swords.  
  
"When combined, the Battle Weapons form the Battle Cannon, which is capable of firing an energy beam more powerful than all five Militia Blasters put together," Clarke finished, just as alarms began to go off in the background.  
  
"Here's your opportunity to test your new arsenal," Billy told them with a half smile. "Better get to the Terra Cruiser."  
  
"I'll brief you all on your way there," General McKnight confirmed.  
  
"Good luck, Rangers," said Cestria.

Moments later, the Militia Rangers were on a whirlwind ride through the Terra Cruiser exit tunnel. A holographic image of General McKnight was now lining the inside of the window panels.  
  
"The Tormenta have sent out a new monster and backed it up with about a score of Necrons," he said, as images of the battle scene appeared around them. "From the information we've gathered, I think it is safe to say that the Mask of Malice has been used again. Apparently, it works on inanimate objects as well as humans. We believe this monster to have been created from a computer. As of yet, we have no idea of its capabilities, so be careful." With that, the images disappeared. Jack snorted.  
  
"How bad could a computer monster possibly be?"  
  
"Well, it could infect every computer in the world with a virus that could completely disrupt every time-based device on earth, resulting in total chaos."  
  
Every other head in the Cruiser swiveled around to stare at Pablo.  
  
"What? Didn't anybody else watch Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad as a kid?"  
  
The collective groan answered his question.  
  
"Let's just keep our mind on the task at hand," Kevin said sternly. "We're almost there."

Computron and its Necron soldiers stopped short when they heard the skidding of tires behind them. The spun around just in time to leap out of the way of the speeding Terra Cruiser, which quickly came to a halt. The Tormenta creations had been on their way to the plaza to terrorize the citizens of Orange Valley, but the Terrabase's sensors had picked up on them before they managed to do any damage.  
  
"Who dares try to delete the mighty Computron?" demanded the digital destroyer as the five humans climbed out of their vehicle.  
  
"We dare!" Samantha yelled out.  
  
"Prepare to be rebooted out of here!" Tara cried, backing her up.  
  
"Let's do it, guys!" Kevin shouted as they all reached for the M-Badges on their jackets.  
  
"Armed and Dangerous," was their united call, as they tore off the M-Badges, took out their Milidisks and slid them into their Militia Morphers. Thrusting their right arms out in front of them, each was quickly surrounded by a sphere of colored light. Inside the spheres, each Ranger underwent their transformation, M-Badges becoming balls of energy that traveled up their arms and down their legs, morphing the right side of their bodies, then merging with the sphere of light and drawing all its power into them. When the spheres had dispersed, Kevin had become the Red Militia Ranger, Jack had become the Green Militia Ranger, Tara had become the Orange Militia Ranger, Samantha had become the Yellow Militia Ranger, and Pablo had become the Black Militia Ranger. Each falling into their individual battle stances, they announced themselves to their enemies.  
  
"Power Rangers Militia!"  
  
Breaking form, the Rangers dove into battle. Wielding their M-Daggers, they spread out and did their best to take down the Necrons surrounding Computron. Kevin managed to knock out two, one with a powerful side kick and another with a slash across the chest. However, a third managed to catch him off guard, delivering a swift upward slash with its Spinal Scimitar. The blow to the chest sent flying backwards, sparks shooting out from where the weapon had hit his suit. Although the attack had knocked the wind out of him, the Red Ranger was quickly back on his feet.  
  
"I'd say this is a good time to test those new weapons," he said, sheathing his dagger. "Jet Saber!" As he yelled the command into his Militia Morpher, a beam of red light shot out, solidifying into a sword in his hand. As the Necron came at him again, he parried the Spinal Saber away and returned with a swift upward slash identical to the one that had been dealt to him. The only difference was that the Necron did not recover from his attack. "One good turn deserves another," the Red Ranger smirked, moving on to his next opponent.  
  
"Tank Staff!"  
  
Not to be outdone, the Green Ranger summoned his weapon, using it to sweep two Necrons right off their feet, then slamming the end of it right into the abdomen of another, before vaulting over its head and kicking the creature hard in the back.  
  
"V-2 Launcher!"  
  
The Orange Ranger's weapon materialized in her right hand. Bracing it against her shoulder and steadying it with her left hand, she charged up her weapon, setting the orange tip whirling. As two Necrons charged her, she ducked down and fired off two bolts of electricity that sent her enemies to the ground, stunned and twitching.  
  
"Hummer Shields!"  
  
In twin swirls of lights, the shields appeared on the Yellow Ranger's crossed forearms. Swinging back her arms, she smashed the faces of two Necrons trying to ambush her, then swung her arms again to bash them in their stomachs, causing them to double over. She finished them off by slamming the shield edges down hard on the backs of their necks, knocking them flat on their skeletal faces.  
  
"Helicopter Boomerang Blades!"  
  
The Black Ranger caught the beam of light from his Militia Morpher with both hands, ripping it in two to form his twin swords. Parrying a Spinal Scimitar attack from either side, he then spun around, sparks flying everywhere as he slashed his attackers across their bellies.  
  
Samantha had discovered that the edges of her Hummer Shields were almost as effective as her M-Dagger when it came to slashing Necrons, and they definitely added power to her punch. She had just sent another one of her foes sprawling when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. Looking to her left and right, Sam saw that two Necrons were holding her by her arms, rendering her incapable of using her shields. But while she was struggling to get free, she suddenly found herself reeling from a sharp kick to the chest. Gasping for breath, she looked up to see Computron towering over her. The monster picked her up by the shoulder, only to send her reeling once again with a nasty backhand.  
  
"If you wanted something, all you had to do was ask," Sam managed to get the words out as she got back up to her feet.  
  
"All I wanted was your attention, Yellow Ranger," replied Computron's high monotone voice. "Take a look at this!" Suddenly the screen atop its head flickered to life. As it did, Sam's eyes opened wide behind her visor.  
  
"No," she said, stumbling backwards. "Not her. Anyone but her." Her voice sounded on the verge of hysteria as she tripped and fell back, scrambling to get away from the image on the screen. The image was a raven-haired woman with midnight black lipstick and perfect pale skin. She was stunning and beautiful, but her eyes were like dark embers, burning into Sam's soul with a fire that seemed colder than ice. Shivers ran down her spine. She was paralyzed by fear.  
  
Taking advantage of its opponent's petrified state, the monster took out a coiled whip from behind its back that ended in a computer mouse.  
  
"Mouse Whip!" it cried out, flinging the weapon outward so that it coiled around the Yellow Ranger. Sam struggled weakly, but her eyes were still locked with those of the raven-haired woman on Computron's monitor. The creature let out an evil mechanical laugh as it slowly pulled the Ranger closer and closer.  
  
"Hold it right there!"  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
Tara and Pablo had seen what was happening to Sam and had managed to pull themselves away from the battle with the Necrons. Each now held their Battle Weapons ready, prepared to defend their teammate. But before the Orange Ranger could fire a shot or the Black Ranger throw a blade, they were each seized from behind by two pairs of Necrons.  
  
"I'm going to show your friend here a whole new world!" Computron told them, as it held its Mouse Whip with one hand and typed away at its keyboard with the other. In a matter of moments, the flat screen monitor atop its head detached itself and landed on the ground. White bolts of electricity crackled all around the monitor as it grew into a full-sized doorway, the image of the raven-haired woman now replaced by a whirling vortex of numeric code. Picking up the now unconscious Yellow Ranger in its arms, the monster stepped boldly through the portal, ignoring the protests of the Black and Orange Rangers. By the time they had managed to break free from the grasps of the Necrons, Computron and the portal were both gone.  
  
And so was Samantha.

"What do you mean gone?" demanded General McKnight. After Sam had been captured, the Necrons had retreated, and the returning Rangers now had to explain why it was that only four of them had come back in the Terra Cruiser.  
  
"That's exactly what happened, sir," Pablo continued. "The monster carried her into the portal, and then they were just gone."  
  
"I'm sorry, sir. We let you down, we let the team down, and we let Sam down," Tara replied. The former Lightspeed officer did her best to keep the emotion out of her voice. Although they had only known each other for a short time, she already considered the Yellow Ranger a friend, and it always hurt to lose a friend.  
  
"Well, I guess it's not your fault," McKnight told her with a sigh. "What we have to do now is figure out a way to fix this. Clarke?"  
  
"Sorry, sir. I'll do my best, but I don't have any experience in this area."  
  
"I do."  
  
They all turned their heads as Billy and Cestria walked into the room, the weak genius leaning on both his wife and his cane for support.  
  
"I heard what happened and came as soon as I could," he explained. "From the looks of things, it seems like Computron has taken Samantha into his own pocket dimension."  
  
"And how did you come to that conclusion?" McKnight answered.  
  
"Like I said, I have experience in this area. However, I am going to need help tracing the energy signature, and a thorough description of the type of portal."  
  
"I'll help, Mr. Cranston," Pablo volunteered. This came as a surprise to most of those present, as few had heard more than a dozen words from the quiet Black Ranger. "I've been studying monsters most of my life, and that includes portals and pocket dimensions. I also got a pretty good look at the doorway before Computron carried her away."  
  
"Very well," Billy said, smiling. "General McKnight?"  
  
"You have my full support Cranston. Get to work."  
  
"Thank you, sir. Clarke? Pablo? Let's find us a Yellow Ranger."

Samantha's eyelids fluttered open as she regained consciousness. Looking around, she saw that her vision was no longer darkened by the visor of her helmet. She must have de-morphed sometime after losing consciousness. Her memory was still a little hazy. She had been fighting the Necrons, and then Computron attacked her...  
  
Her eyes opened wide as she remembered the raven-haired woman.  
  
She tried to shake her head to clear her mind of the image that had haunted her for so long, but found that she couldn't. Something was holding her down. She tried to struggle, but found that she couldn't move an inch. As best she could, Sam tried to survey her environment. She was surrounded by panels of bluish-green light that floated in midair. She couldn't tell where they ended because they overlapped each other so many times that not one bit of sky or wall was visible. This place looked like no other place on Earth, and she began to wonder if she was even still on the same planet.  
  
"Enjoy your rest, Yellow Ranger?" Computron asked her as it appeared from behind one of the panels. Despite having a disk drive for a mouth, the monster still appeared to be wearing a very self satisfied grin.  
  
"What is it you want with me, cyber breath?" Sam demanded, doing her best to look the creature in the eyes, which was very hard from her lying down position. Her answer came in the form of a laugh that sounded like a squeaky printer.  
  
"I'm going to drain your memory, Ranger. Even as we speak, the computer cables that bind you are interfacing with your neurological structure. It's only a matter of time before they've fully bonded with your brain, and then we will know everything that you know. The Star, the Rangers, everything!" Computron's mechanical laugh resumed, echoing throughout its virtual dimension, while Azala stayed hidden in the distance, watching and waiting.

"I think I found something, Mr. Cranston!"  
  
"What is it, Pablo?" Billy looked up from the table where he and Clarke had been hard at work on the dimensional gateway device. It had been years since he last had to build one, but the knowledge was still there, and with Clarke's help, they would be done in just a few more minutes.  
  
"I think I managed to determine the frequency of the portal. Sam's Morpher is still giving off a strong energy signal, and it confirms that this is what we've been looking for." The Black Ranger had done a good job organizing the search for Sam. Considering Computron's origins, they had managed to determine the pocket dimension sub-group, and by knowing the monster's exit point, he had helped narrow down the search significantly.  
  
"Good work," Billy told him, moving as quickly as he could to the computer console Pablo was sitting at. "Now we'll be able to make the proper adjustments to the gateway."  
  
"And then we get Sam out of there?"  
  
"That's right," the older man told him. He started to head back to the worktable, then paused. "And one more thing, Pablo."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Cranston?"  
  
"Call me Billy," he said with a grin. Pablo nodded in understanding, smiling as he turned back to his work.

"How much longer?"  
  
"Just a little more time, my lady," Computron told Azala with a formal bow. "The interface is nearly complete, and after that, it will simply be a manner of removing the information from her brain. It will be as easy as extracting files from a folder."  
  
"Very good," said a pleased Azala. Although the smile on her mask was an inalterable one, the Tormenta Lady seemed to be bursting with excitement. Soon the secrets of the Power Rangers would belong to her, along with Samantha's mind, body, and soul.

"Good work guys," he told them over the comlink. Billy was in no condition to leave the Terrabase, so he was supervising the setup of the dimensional gateway device via the headquarters' advanced communications network. The Rangers had morphed and taken the gateway to the battle scene in the Terra Cruiser, and were now almost done positioning the twin blue towers. "Now step back. I'm going to initiate the energy transfer into the terminals. This will create a temporary dimensional rift, reformatting the space between the gateway towers to match the frequency of Computron's virtual pocket dimension. After that, you will have approximately five minutes to establish Samantha's position, disengage her from all entrapments, and demolish Computron's dimensional generator, thus reverting the molecular vibration of your environment to a more terrestrial frequency pattern. Any questions?"  
  
All four Rangers were silent. It was Jack who finally found the words that they were all struggling to express.  
  
"Say what?"  
  
Cestria's musical laugh filled her husband's ears as she came up behind him.  
  
"He said that he's opening up the gateway, which means you have five minutes to find Sam, rescue her, and defeat Computron, which will return you back to Earth."  
  
"I knew there was a reason I married you," Billy said to his wife jokingly as he activated the gateway. The Rangers stepped back as the air between the two seven-foot towers began to shimmer and change, white bolts of light crackling. Suddenly, there was a bright flash as the bolts all met. When the light cleared, the vortex was there; the same swirling blue mass of numerical code that they had seen their teammate carried through just over two hours ago.  
  
Looking to her left and right, the Orange Ranger took a tentative step forward, reaching her gloved hand towards the portal. She hesitated a moment, then took one step more, walking straight into gateway and vanishing in a swirl of orange light. The others looked at each other, then followed. If Tara was brave enough to save a friend, then so were they.  
  
The three men found themselves is a world on bluish green, strange panels floating in midair all around them. Tara was right in front of them, peeking around the edge of one of the panels at something. Looking back over her shoulder at the guys, the Orange Ranger put her finger up to her mouthpiece to indicate science, then motioned for them to join her behind the panel. They did, and together looked out around the edge to the other side.  
  
There lay Sam, lying down on a horizontal panel, wires surrounding her entire body. Only her face could still be seen, and she looked scared. Computron and Azala stood just a little farther off, watching her, waiting for something.  
  
"So," Jack whispered. "What do we do?"  
  
"Create a diversion," Kevin told him. "We draw them away from Samantha, so that one of us can cut her loose."  
  
"I'll do it," Tara volunteered. "If you guys can get their attention, I'll cut her loose."  
  
"Good," agreed Kevin. "Once you get her free, meet back up with us. Then we'll see what these new Battle Weapons can really do."  
  
The four Rangers nodded in agreement. Tara held her position, while the guys moved over behind the two Tormenta, using the panels for cover. The three of them drew their M-Daggers, then their M-Pistols, combining the two weapons so that they were each armed with a powerful Militia Blaster. Kevin nodded, and all three aimed at Computron and fired. Only to have their blasts launched right back at them.  
  
"Nice try, Rangers," Azala said smugly as she turned around. "Did you really think an ambush would save your friend?"  
  
"It was worth a shot," Jack replied with a shrug.  
  
"Fools," Computron said with scorn as it dismissed the panel it had summoned to deflect the blasts. "This is my world. I control what happens here, and I will not be so easily defeated!" As the monster typed away furiously at its keyboard, the panels shifted. The three Rangers stepped back slowly as the entire world seemed to turn against them. Suddenly panels were flying everywhere.  
  
"Whoa, close one!" Kevin exclaimed, as one of the panels just barely missed slicing off his arm.  
  
"You're telling me!" shouted Jack as he flipped over another.  
  
Pablo said nothing. He just stood there while the panels whizzed by him. Azala looked at him quizzically.  
  
"Why are you so confident, Black Ranger?" she asked.  
  
"Because I know something you don't know."  
  
"Oh, really? And what might that be?"  
  
"I know what's behind you."  
  
A sudden explosion sent Azala and Computron flying away from each other, causing the panels to halt. There, right behind where the two Tormenta had just been standing, was Tara, holding a recently fired V-2 Launcher, with Samantha standing right behind her. The look of fear was gone from her face.  
  
"No one messes with my brain, Computron," she told the monster, which was still recovering from the Orange Ranger's point blank attack. Sam tore her M-Badge from her jacket, removing the Milidisk and sliding it into her Militia Morpher. "Armed and Dangerous!"  
  
As the sphere of light surrounded her, Samantha felt the M-Badge travel up her arm, covering her with white and blue. The entire right side of her body was morphed blue before the M-Badge energy left her and merged with the sphere, turning it yellow. She braced herself as its power rushed into her, filling her with strength, until she had taken it all, and become the Yellow Militia Power Ranger.  
  
By the time Azala and her monster had gotten back on their feet, the five Militia Rangers stood united, each holding their own Battle Weapon.  
"Jet Saber!" shouted Kevin, as his weapon's blade split in two, forming right angles to the grip.  
  
"Tank Staff!" shouted Jack, as he locked his weapon between the split blades, combining to form a weapon very much like a bazooka.  
  
"Helicopter Boomerang Blades!" shouted Pablo, as he bent the grips on his weapons and held them so that the curved blades formed a circle.  
  
"Hummer Shields!" shouted Samantha, as she locked her weapons on either side of the circle, forming a disk with two sword grips sticking out.  
  
"V-2 Launcher!" shouted Tara, as she rotated the grip on her weapon, so that it was on the side opposite the arm brace. She then locked the arm brace of the V2 Launcher around the front end of the bazooka, while Sam and Pablo locked the disk onto the bottom of the brace.  
  
"Battle Cannon!"  
  
The weapon was now complete. The Red Ranger braced the entire thing on his arm like a bazooka, while the Black and Yellow Rangers crouched down to hold the grips on either side of the disk. The Orange Ranger held the top grip, and the Green Ranger held onto the main body of the Cannon, supporting the Red Ranger.  
  
"Ready!"  
  
The disk began to whirl, gathering up energy, as did the tip of the V2 Launcher, which was now pointed away from the monster. The twin barrels of the Battle Cannon were what were pointing at the Computron now, and the creature didn't look the least bit comfortable. Before he could back out of the way, the Power Rangers issued their final command.  
  
"Fire!"  
  
Two huge blasts of energy flew forth from the Battle Cannon, nearly knocking the Rangers down with the incredible force of the kickback. All five could feel the power flowing out of their bodies and into the attack, which hit Computron with full force, shattering its monitor and sending the monster flying as it was engulfed in a white fiery explosion.  
  
It never stood a chance.

As the Power Rangers disassembled the Battle Cannon, Computron's virtual dimension slowly dissipated, the panels of light fading away to nothing, until they once again stood on the outskirts of Orange Plaza.  
  
"I see that you've returned, Azala," spoke a voice from behind the Rangers. Spinning around, they saw Typhus relaxing a bench, legs crossed and arms behind his head. "I was wondering how long it would be before you let these Power Rangers get the better of you."  
  
"Did you just come here to gloat, Typhus?" Azala asked sarcastically, dusting off her purple gown as she did so.  
  
"No, I've come to clean up your mess. Necrons?" At his command, a score of the skeletal soldiers appeared out of thin air in front of their Tormenta master. Getting up from his seat, Typhus strode confidently into the center of the group. "It's time to restart the system."  
  
It was then that he began to bellow, the myriad faces on his skin opened their mouths wide, each one breathing forth a yellow cloud of light, crackling with electric energy. The clouds moved faster and faster, merging into an orb of energy that expanded outward, encompassing not only Typhus, but the entire group of Necrons. The Rangers shielded their eyes as the light grew brighter, until they could only see silhouettes of the figures within. Suddenly, the Necron silhouettes burst apart, crumbling away to sand. The sands and clouds mingled, flowing right back into their source, filling Typhus with soul fire. Gathering all the souls into his left hand, he released them in a beam of light directed straight at Computron. The monster, which had been lying prone up till now, arched its back at the sudden influx of power, and was lifted high into the air. There, its wounds healed themselves, its energy was restored, and its size multiplied a hundred times over, until it towered high above the Rangers.  
  
"Guess who's back online!" laughed the massive maniacal monstrosity. The Rangers had to dive away to avoid being crushed alive as Computron's foot came down hard.  
  
"Let's move, guys!" Kevin commanded the team, as they rushed back to the Terra Cruiser. Each Ranger took their seat and placed their M-Badge in their console, sending the sleek vehicle in motion towards the harbor.  
  
"Summoning Fortriton," they said in unison, as the immense Carrierzord rose up from the sea. The Cruiser launched off the pier, and soon the Rangers had each taken their places in their respective Milizord.  
  
"Milizord 1, online!" said Kevin, as his jet flew up out of the starboard deck.  
  
"Milizord 2, online!" said Jack, as his tank launched out of the starboard hull.  
  
"Milizord 3, online!" said Tara, as her V-2 Halftrack rolled out from the bow.  
  
"Milizord 4, online!" said Samantha, as her Humvee sped out of the port hull.  
  
"Milizord 5, online!" said Pablo, as his helicopter lifted up out of the port deck.  
  
Computron met the Zords head on. Summoning its Mouse Whip, the monster attacked Milizord 4 first. As the weapon made contact with the Yellow Ranger's Zord, she felt a jolt rip through her cockpit. The monster was firing electricity straight through the whip and into her Zord. Sam struggled to remain in control as the powerful voltage threatened to fry her systems. She was on the verge of losing consciousness for the second time that day when the waves of electricity suddenly stopped. She looked up, and saw that Milizord 5 had sliced the Mouse Whip with its razor sharp rotors.  
  
"Thanks, Pablo," Sam breathed a sigh of relief through the comlink.  
  
"You alright?"  
  
"I'm better than alright," she told the Black Ranger. "I've got an idea. Tara, could you get Milizord 3 back down to the harbor?"  
  
"Sure thing."  
  
"Great. Everybody else, let's move in on Computron. We're going to short-circuit this thing!"  
  
Milizords 1 and 5 led the charge. With their high maneuverability, they were able to strike at Computron from every possible angle. The monster did its best to strike back, but its flailing arms couldn't touch the airborne Zords. Its only chance for relief was to stumble backwards, away from the bombardment of laser fire. During a brief break in the aerial assault, Computron paused to charge up its shoulder mounted speakers and release two powerful beams of sonic energy.  
  
"I'm hit!" Kevin shouted out. The beams had missed Milizord 5 entirely, but had managed to clip one of the wings of Milizord 1. The Red Ranger struggled for control as his Zord spiraled madly through the air. His breathing grew labored, his body shook all over. "No, not again. I've got to pull out of this. Come on, soldier. Fight it!"  
  
Pulling hard on the control stick, he managed to pull out of the spiral and level off, letting out a huge sigh of relief.  
  
"Kevin, are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine, Sam," he breathlessly replied. "Now you guys better move. From what I can see, the target is now in position."  
  
"Right! Jack, you ready?"  
  
"Ready, Sam. Let's do this!"  
  
Milizord 2 charged its gun barrel, while Milizord 4 charged its front grill, as they both closed in on the monster. Each unleashing a powerful energy beam, they sent Computron reeling backwards, tripping over a well placed Milizord 3 and falling into the harbor. The water bubbled and churned as the electronic creature was racked by spasms, sparks and bolts of electricity flying everywhere as its circuits were fried.  
  
"This system is going down!" exclaimed Tara. "Activating power siphon!"  
  
All five Milizords lined up along the piers, Milizord 1 glowing red, Milizord 2 glowing green, Milizord 3 glowing orange, Milizord 4 glowing yellow, and Milizord 5 glowing black. As Milizord 3 aimed its missile all towards the sky, the energy of all five flowed straight into it.  
  
"Militia Missile!"  
  
At the command of all five Power Rangers, Milizord 3's missile fired straight up into the sky, coming down on a very surprised Computron.  
  
"NOOOOO!!!" the creature screeched as it was caught in the missile's tremendous blast. The Rangers cheered as the monster was vanquished, and the Eyes of Malice returned to its place in the Fortress of Facades.

Samantha had been alone in her room since their return to the Militia Terrabase. She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, when a knock came to her door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
The door slid open to reveal Tara.  
  
"You alright?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah," Sam sighed, sitting up in her bed. "I'll be okay. Say, thanks for what you did back there in Computron's virtual dimension. You really saved me."  
  
"It was nothing," Tara said, shrugging it off as she sat down on the bed. "If you really want to thank someone, thank Pablo. If it wasn't for him, we might never have found you in time."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. Billy even said that if it wasn't for his help, it would have taken at least another hour or two, and by then it might have been too late."  
  
"Wow." Samantha gathered her knees up to chin, remembering how the quiet Black Ranger had saved her in the battle against the giant Computron. It was amazingly how quickly he had come to her aid, when they had barely known each other more than a few days. She smiled. "I'll have to thank him."  
  
Tara smiled back, glad to know that her friend was alright. The smile faded, though, as she searched for the right words to say what was now on her mind.  
  
"Sam?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I have a question for you."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"That woman, the one on Computron's monitor. Who was she?"  
  
The smile dropped from the blonde girl's face. Tara had a feeling that this was a painful subject, but she felt that she had to ask. Samantha was silent for a moment, wrinkles forming on her forehead. When she found her voice, it was strained.  
  
"I don't know, Tara," she said, as the image of the raven-haired woman with the eyes of fiery ice burned through her memory. She could feel the paralysis taking over her again, and only barely sense her friend's arms surrounding her in a comforting hug. Her eyes began to water. "I honestly don't know."  
  
_Until Next Time..._


End file.
